A Taisho and a Gentleman
by Crimson1
Summary: Part 10! The longawaited and oh so late END! Kenren and Tenpou's relationship to their new beginning as Gojyo and Hakkai, finally brought to where it was meant to go all along.
1. Friends with Benefits

A TAISHO AND A GENTLEMAN  
  
Knock. Knock. "Tenpou!" No answer. "Oi, Tenpou!" Nothing. "Damnit, Tenpou, get your ass off the floor and your nose out of whatever book it's in and answer the damn door!!" Not a peep.  
  
Kenren is used to this by now. After working with the allusive and rather eccentric gensui for the past few months, he knows full well what to expect from his superior officer. Tenpou Gensui never answers his door. He is either buried in some thickly-written text on the warring of the world below, or asleep after being buried in said book for far longer than should be humanly possible. Not that he is anything close to being human.  
  
The raven-haired taisho almost smiles at the habitualness of the relationship he shares with Tenpou--like that of an old married couple. He would have smiled for sure, if he wasn't so damn impatient to talk with the man right now.  
  
"I'm coming in!" he bellows at the door. "If you're naked or something, it's your own damn fault!"  
  
True to his word, Kenren enters, avoiding a few randomly falling books as he does so. He shuts the door behind him and looks around. Typical. The pseudo-office, which is far more reminiscent of a library to anyone with eyes, is a cluttered mess. Books are strewn everywhere, leaving barely enough space for Kenren to walk, let alone find the man he is so desperate to see.  
  
"Tenpou!" Still nothing, even now that Kenren is calling from inside as he moves about the office in search of his friend. "There you are." he huffs, spotting Tenpou sitting on the floor behind his desk, where the brunette is most often found. It takes Kenren a moment to realize the man is asleep, with one of his many books lying open in his lap. "Same old story, ne, Ten- chan?" the general smirks, most of his anger and impatience forgotten as he stares at that serenely sleeping face.  
  
Crouching down, Kenren is unable to stop himself as one of his hands reaches out to brush some of the marshal's rich brown hair out of his eyes. It is then that he realizes Tenpou isn't wearing his glasses. They are laying on the floor beside him.  
  
Kenren can picture the event perfectly. Tenpou must have grown weary from so much reading and so little sleep, so he removed his glasses to rub at his temples, and then drifted suddenly--in mid-thought, most likely--into a peaceful, much-needed sleep.  
  
"Heh. You're such a weirdo, Tenpou...and so damn pretty, too..." Kenren muses, wanting so badly to run his fingers along the smooth curves of Tenpou's pale face. But he doesn't give in to the desire, too afraid the marshal might wake and catch him, and then what would he do? "So pretty...and as untouchable as that unsociable twit of a friend of yours. Not that I'd ever be even remotely attracted to that guy. Never did care much for blondes..." Kenren laughs, but it is an empty laugh. He never was very good at making himself feel better.  
  
"Ugnnn..." Tenpou stirs at the sound of that laughter, his beautiful green eyes fluttering open. When those eyes focus and turn their attention on the handsome general now seated cross-legged in front of him, he instantly smiles. "I did it again, didn't I...?" he says groggily, followed by a large yawn. "Ano...what's with that look? You're staring at me like I've just caught you doing something naughty."  
  
Kenren swallows. He _has_ been caught, and had Tenpou woken any earlier, the brunette might have heard his half-confession. Also, right now he is trying very hard to fight down the heat rising to his face after Tenpou's smooth voice said the word 'naughty' "I...uhhh...I just can't figure out how you can get so wrapped up in some frickin' story. Are your books really that interesting?"  
  
Tenpou laughs. It is a sound so light and melodic, nearly as beautiful as the man himself. "You may be surprised, Taisho. Books can be quite enlightening."  
  
"Oh? And what was it this time, Gensui? Ancient warfare? Battles at sea? Maybe internal unrest in the military?"  
  
"Actually, I was reading...well...never mind. It's a little embarrassing."  
  
"Really? What is it?"  
  
"Nothing. Why...I didn't even know I had such a thing in my collection. Let's just forget about it."  
  
Kenren is suddenly very aware that Tenpou is blushing, and that the man seems to be trying to keep the book he is holding out of view. "What is it, Tenpou? Let me see."  
  
"I'd rather you didn't."  
  
Silly marshal; now it has become a game, a chase, and Kenren never loses at either. "Hand it over, Ten-chan, or I'll be forced to resort to drastic measures."  
  
Tenpou quirks an eyebrow, pulling the book in close to his chest as he leans further back against his desk. "Drastic measures? I highly doubt--"  
  
"You should never doubt _me_...sir." And on those words, Kenren pounces, tossing Tenpou to the floor and crawling quickly on top of him while tickling at the marshal's sides. Tenpou is soon laughing uncontrollably, his hands losing their grip on the book, and when Kenren adjusts his position so that he is straddling Tenpou's waist to better hold him down, the brunette seems to have suddenly lost the will to fight back.  
  
Snatching up the book proudly, Kenren remains where he is, with Tenpou pinned beneath him, and studies the text in his hands carefully. First, he looks at the cover, which is simply titled, "Koibito," and then begins to page through it, occasionally stopping to read a particularly interesting passage. The further he gets into the story, however, the wider his eyes become, and when the true nature of the book finally dawns on him, his mouth is practically dropped to the floor.  
  
"This...this is a romance novel..." he states softly, still barely believing it, even after the rather graphic sex scene he had just glanced over. "...and it's between...two guys..." Kenren lowers the book and looks down to stare into Tenpou's very sheepish expression. "You were reading a gay romance novel?"  
  
Now it is Tenpou who has been caught doing something naughty. "Well, I...I was only glancing at it. Skimming at best. Really."  
  
"Uh huh."  
  
"I swear. I don't even know where that came from."  
  
"You're a shitty liar, Tenpou."  
  
"I'm not...lying."  
  
"..."  
  
"It has a very interesting plot."  
  
"..."  
  
"The characters were easy to get invested in."  
  
"..."  
  
"I...I...oh, fine! I was reading it because I enjoy it, all right? I found it on my last trip to the world below and I purposefully bought it. Are you satisfied now?"  
  
"I don't know..." Kenren smirks, tossing the book aside and leaning down to place a hand to the floor at either side of Tenpou's head while bringing their faces a mere hair's breath apart. "I think the real question is...are _you_ satisfied?"  
  
"Wh-what do you mean...?"  
  
"Oh...I'm just wondering...if maybe you need to change your pants after that 'reading' experience."  
  
Tenpou blanches, his body becoming very tight and tense beneath Kenren's.  
  
"And I'm also wondering...just who you're thinking about when you put the book down and the fantasies start starring you instead of your characters."  
  
"I...I..."  
  
"You...feel like trying out a few of those scenes?"  
  
"Kenren..."  
  
"Unless your dear friend Konzen was the one you were thinking about."  
  
"Konzen!? Don't be rididulous! Of course it was you!" Beat. Tenpou instantly realizes he has said too much, and desperately wishes he could bite out his tongue. "I mean...well...not that I was...because I wasn't...I was just--"  
  
"Having erotic fantasies about me after reading the sex scenes in your literary porn?"  
  
"Well...when you put it like that--"  
  
"It sounds like something we should turn into a reality. Doncha think?"  
  
"Uhh...ano...I...well..."  
  
"Tenpou?"  
  
"...hai?"  
  
"Shut up, already."  
  
And he does. Actually, Tenpou really doesn't have much choice since Kenren's lips are suddenly sealed over his, blissfully silencing him. In fact, everything is silent. Every small buzz or creek of the building stops dead around them, and though the floor is pressing hard into Tempou's back, he would swear he is floating.  
  
It's like entering a whirlwind of your own free will. Embracing the hurricane. Kenren's kiss is meant to consume, and Tenpou is the epitome of the control-freak. Both claim, both conquer, and both are enjoying every minute of it.  
  
"I assume...you came...to discuss something..." Tenpou speaks out of breath, licking his now damp and reddened lips.  
  
Kenren almost loses his smile remembering his initial intentions, but he simply refuses to allow the mood to die. "I did. But this is going to be a one-sided discussion, got it? You don't have the right to argue."  
  
"Oh, really?" Tenpou challenges, clutching the upper hand, despite his current position beneath his subordinate.  
  
"Yes, really. The dragon said you were taking tomorrow's mission by yourself. First off: I'm going, too. And second: we're taking a legitimate number of soldiers for backup. Understood, Gensui? No more dumb heroics on your end or I'm strangling you in your sleep. Got it?"  
  
Tenpou licks his lips again. "Hmm. What are you bargaining with, Taisho?"  
  
"I should think that was obvious." Kenren smirks, stretching back his legs so that he is no longer stradling Tenpou, but laying fully on top of him. "Unless you have some closing remarks to shoot me down with?"  
  
"A question or two, perhaps."  
  
"Such as?"  
  
"Well...are you planning on having your wicked way with me right here on the office floor, or shall we go into the bedroom?"  
  
"Honestly?" Kenren says out of the corner of his devilish, little mouth, before leaning down to breathe beside Tenpou's ear. "I want to take you right here...right now..."  
  
Tenpou shudders, turned on more than a person could rightly tolerate without compensation, but when Kenren leans back, believing he is about to be looking into a flushed and inviting face, one of sudden apprehension stares back instead. "Will you be honest with me, Kenren?" Tenpou asks somberly.  
  
Slightly taken aback, Kenren can think of nothing better to do than nod.  
  
"Swear you aren't merely playing with me." Tenpou continues, fully serious. "I know about your reputation in the East. It's not that I'm asking for anything. There are no promises. This isn't about love. But I will not be teased, and I will not be made a fool."  
  
"If you're worried about whether or not I'm just joking around, you can push that thought out of your mind right now." Kenren dismisses. "If you're wondering why I'd suddenly go after a man instead of the nearest available broad, it's because I finally found a guy worth chasing. No promises, I agree. And I know this isn't love. But friends with benefits never sounded so good."  
  
And Tenpou agrees with him. It is more than enough, because it is all the marshall wanted to hear. His apprehension fades, replaced by that oh so familiar smile as he pulls Kenren in close for another turbulent kiss.  
  
Before they know it, clothes have been shed and they are rolling over the floor, occasionally having to push away a book that has ended up beneath them. It is pure passion and equalized need. No promises. No love. Just a powerful friendship with something intimate begging to be shared.  
  
When they are finally spent, the pair lay side by side on the floor, breathing heavily.  
  
"You live up to all my expectations, Taisho. I'm impressed." Tenpou winks, propping himself up on his side.  
  
Kenren stares back at him, musing over how perfectly gorgeous the brunette looks with his long hair so tossled, his naked eyes full of barely satiated desire, and his skin aglow with sweat from what they have just shared. "Right back at ya, Gensui. We should do this again some time."  
  
Tenpou grins a little larger, inching close enough to press his body tightly against Kenren's. "I whole-heartedly agree..."  
  
END PART 1  
  
A/N: I just thought the world needed more Kenren/Tenpou, so I thought I'd do a series of events following their relationship with random scenes up until they become Gojyo and Hakkai. Tell me what you think, and I'll have another incident soon. Love you all!  
  
Also, I do believe that Kenren and Tenpou eventually fall in love, but I think their sex life began as just sex between close friends. It makes sense. But so does eventual love if you've read the Gaiden manga. It couldn't be more canon.  
  
Crim 


	2. Rumors? What rumors?

He has a habit of doing the most unseemly thing possible in any given situation. He thrives off the rush of it--the rush of pissing people off-- and he flat out refuses to follow what anyone else believes he should. He is his own man and always will be. To hell with rules and authority. Who needs 'em?  
  
Unless, of course, the authority in question is someone worth listening to.  
  
Tenpou quells a smirk, regarding his favorite taisho with as much composure as he is capable of producing. General Kenren is sound alseep, resting back against the trunk of a familiar tree, with his 'fuel' tucked half-empty under his arm. Tenpou had gone looking for the dark-haired young man after Kenren failed to turn up for an appointment they had scheduled to discuss their next mission, and to speak plainly, he is quite amused at the state he has found his query in.  
  
'And you chastize me for doing this very thing.' he muses, crouching down to gaze at his friend's blissful expression. Kenren is a handsome man-- handsome as Tenpou is pretty--and in sleep, all his rougueishness crumbles into something purely boyish. 'My, my, taisho...had you not approached me first those weeks ago, I certainly would have approached you...'  
  
Casting a quick glance at his surroundings, Tenpou makes sure the coast is clear, before leaning in closer to the slumbering general to capture a quick kiss. He is pleasantly surprised to feel an instant response, but when Kenren pushes him back, he finds himself disheartened.  
  
He had hoped the kiss would last just a bit longer.  
  
"Naughty, naughty, Ten-chan. Someone might see you slipping your adjudent some of that silver tongue, and then we'd both be screwed. Not that I minded screwing you a while back, I'm just saying--"  
  
"You're saying too much." Tenpou breaks in, sitting down beside Kenren against the tree, and doing a very poor job of hiding his distress. "A while back was weeks ago, Kenren, and nothing since. I don't like to think of myself as a one night stand, if you don't mind, but it seems you won't even allow a simple kiss."  
  
Kenren doesn't know quite how to respond, and takes a generous swig of wine to clear his mind before answering. "Listen, Tenpou, I'm not trying to push you away, I'm just looking out for our reps, ya know? There are already rumors spreading like wildfire and we've only been together once."  
  
"Once? And here I was thinking it had been quite a few more times than that."  
  
Kenren grins. "Believe me, I remember, and it was. But I wouldn't want our 'recreational activities' to soil your perfect record. We gotta play it safe."  
  
"Ah. So does that mean we still get to play?"  
  
With a wink, Kenren elbows Tenpou softly in the side. "What do you think? I was just keeping things toned down for a bit before having another go. Next time, I'll know better."  
  
"I should hope so." Tenpou smiles back. "I'm not a patient man, you know?"  
  
"Oh, I know. You made it quite clear before, during, and after. Numerous times." Kenren takes another swig. "I missed our meeting, huh? Sorry. I needed a nap. Besides, I figured you'd find me if I slept through it."

"Indeed. And I suppose if I complain you'll just throw back in my face all the times _I've _slept through appointments."

"Damn straight."

"Hn. Well, we still have some things to discuss, you know?"

"Like what? Next mission will go same as the last one, as long as you stick to our agreement."

"Hai, hai. No heroics. We work as a team."

"And don't forget it."

Tenpou looks away to hide his smile; Kenren's take charge attitude would have annoyed him to no end if it had been anyone else, but things being as they are, he couldn't be enjoying it more.

Kenren continues to drink from his jug, and a comfortable silence spreads between them.  
  
A _brief_, comfortable silence. "So, you've heard the rumors, too?" Tenpou asks, leaning his head back against the tree and closing his eyes.  
  
Kenren regards the man a moment before deciding it would be best to approach this topic with manifested ease. "Hasn't everyone? There'd be rumors even if we weren't sleeping together, working so close the way we do. It doesn't bother me too much as long as they stay rumors. No one has any proof. So far. I just avoid the subject. If asked, I deny it."  
  
"As do I." Tenpou admits, and both feel a wave of relief neither would share with the other concerning how grateful they are that both are handling this the same way. "Still, I suppose you are right when you say we need to be careful. Given our positions, it could be very detrimental to our careers. They probably think you're sleeping with me just to climb the ranks and guarentee you always get your way."  
  
"Really now?" Kenren shoots back. "And here I thought they must be thinking _you're _sleeping with _me _to keep me in line. Go figure."  
  
Tenpou opens his eyes to look Kenren in the face, and they share a smile, blue and green eyes twinkling. No opportunity lost; every situation can be used to a person's own advantage, and the prospect should never be ignored.  
  
"Hey, Tenpou, go back a sec. You mentioned positions, didn't you?" Kenren says with a raised eyebrow, setting his now empty jug aside. "I was thinking about that. You don't have a problem with the 'position' we had that time, do you, coz I kinda liked things that way, if it ain't too bold to say that about my superior officer."  
  
Tenpou tilts his head, seemingly thinking over Kenren's words very carefully. "Not at all. Not too bold and definetely not a problem. Certain people just...fit together a certain way. I don't need to be on top to be in control."  
  
Kenren's initial response is a pleased nod, but when the entirety of Tenpou's statement hits him, his eyes widen, and he suddenly feels very annoyed with the marshall's large grin. "Ha ha. Real funny."  
  
"I thought so."  
  
Kenren narrows his eyes, but grins, and in another instant, he has looked carefully at their surroundings and is leaning in towards his commander's soft and waiting lips.  
  
Sadly, a well-placed finger stops his advance. "Maa, maa, Taisho. Weren't you just saying something about keeping a low profile when out in the open? Imagine the rumors if someone caught you being so insubordinate."  
  
"Then I guess we better go somewhere _less _out in the open." Kenren speaks through that dissenting finger, making a point to breathe heavily against it.  
  
Tenpou swallows and quickly pulls it back. "After all these weeks? Perhaps I should decline."  
  
A brief flicker of frustration flashes across Kenren's face. "You catty little prick. Don't be so uptight. I said I wouldn't make that mistake again." Kenren presses, utilizing his most charming smile. His eyes sparkle somehow and would draw anyone within range deeply into their depths. No wonder so few have been able to refuse him.  
  
Tenpou, however, isn't thinking about having been put under a spell, but about how pleased he is to be on the recieving end of that smile at all.  
  
His own smile growing, the marshall doesn't even bother looking around this time. Swifter than Kenren could have possibly hoped to fend off, he grasps either side of the taisho's head and crashes their lips together. It is as brutal as before, giving nothing up and holding nothing back as both fight for control neither wants to relinquish. They are in constant friction, both used to having all the power, but more because of this than despite it, they wouldn't have it any other way.  
  
Suddenly, Kenren grimaces at being pushed a little too forcefully back into the bark of the tree, but when Tenpou--concerned--pulls away to apologize, the quick-witted general takes the opportunity to shift into a better position and pulls the brunette back in for more.  
  
Kenren's head is swimming, both from the alcohol he has ingested and the passion stirring deep inside him. Truthfully, he had wanted to go to Tenpou numerous times over the past few weeks, but he was afraid the marshall would be less than keen on the idea of having another go. Despite Tenpou's initial words of honesty, 'Swear you aren't merely playing with me', Kenren thought it too good to be true that he could have such thrilling fun again.  
  
He has never been so happy to be proven wrong.  
  
"Hmm...perhaps we will actually make it into the bedroom this time." Tenpou winks, both having willingly pulled away as the marshall stands from the base of the tree and offers a hand down towards his friend.  
  
Kenren blinks up at him, flushed and breathless.  
  
"Well? Aren't you coming, Taisho?"  
  
A large grin speads the length of the general's face. He has had many conquests, but none quite so worthwhile, and few quite as pretty, as the man looking down at him now. He takes hold of that hand, quite content to follow wherever his commanding officer chooses to lead him. "I thought you'd never ask...Gensui."  
  
End Part 2  
  
A/N: Not bad. By now you've noticed that these are glimpses into their lives at moments we never got to see. The moments in between big events. Technically, each moment could probably stand alone, but fit into a larger picture. Things will keep progressing and I'll inform you at the beginning again which point in time the moments are happening. Hope you are still enjoiying and please REVIEW! :-)

Crim


	3. Of course it isn't love

"I know what you're doing."  
  
"Oh? You mean, sorting through files?"  
  
"Don't play dumb with me. I know there's more to these rumors than you're letting on."  
  
"Hmm. I'm not sure I know what you mean."  
  
"Damnit, Tenpou, I know you're sleeping with that fool!"  
  
Tenpou pauses to set his papers down on his desk, looking up from his seat behind it at the rather ruffled dragon king standing dangerously in front of him. "Commander Goujun, if I may be so forward, I'm afraid I don't really see how my personal life is any of your business. That is, _if_ any of these rumors are true. They are not, of course. So, unless there is anything else, I would ask you to leave so that I may get back to work."  
  
Red eyes flash menacingly, Goujun's white fists clenching at his sides.  
  
He arrived at Tenpou's office only a few minutes ago, at first consenting to small talk and discussions concerning recent mission, but quickly turning things onto the subject he was actually interested in. Rumors that Tenpou Gensui and his subordinate, Kenren Taisho, have reached all corners of Heaven now, and, being the highest ranking official of the Western Army, the dragon king means to find the truth out for himself.  
  
"That man is a menace." Goujun growls, ignoring Tenpou's suggestion that he leave. "He has been nothing but trouble since he transfered here, and you coddle him like a pet!"  
  
"Be that as it may, he is _my_ pet, and under _my_ command." Tenpou tosses back, staring forward with luminous, green eyes that would have frightened most anyone. "You wouldn't be...jealous, would you, your highness?" he adds with a slight smirk.  
  
Goujun's scales practically puff out like feathers. "How dare you..."  
  
"I mean no disrespect, sir, I only wish to understand why you have taken sudden interest in my love life."  
  
"If things continue as they are, he will destroy your reputation."  
  
"It is mine to be destroyed."  
  
"He can gain you nothing."  
  
"Who ever said I was in it for anything?"  
  
"Then you admit you are in a relationship with him?"  
  
"I didn't say that."  
  
"Urrg!" Goujun growls, slamming his fists down onto the desk. "Deny all you want, I know there is something between you. And as far as being...jealous...it disgusts me that you would even imagine I would see you in such a light. We are comrades in arms, and I am merely looking out for your best interest."  
  
Tenpou opens his mouth to banter back, but stops himself. Goujun's eyes hold nothing but honesty, as always, and the marshall suddenly feels a bit guilty for having allowed this little game to go on as long as it has. "I appreciate your concerns, Goujun, but you needn't worry. If you are correct, and all of Kenren's insubordination ends with him going down in flames...then I will gladly burn beside him."  
  
Goujun is stunned to be spoken to so directly and openly, and takes a step back as he stands up straight from his recent perch looming over the desk. "Are you...in love with him?" he asks, with clear hesitation.  
  
Tenpou smiles. "He is a competent general and a good friend, but I would never persume myself capable of falling in love. You've known me long enough to recognize that, I believe."  
  
"Yes. But when have you ever been given the opportunity to truly find out?"  
  
Just as Tenpou is about to reply, there is a knock at the door.  
  
Knock. Knock. "Oi, Tenpou! You awake in there?!"  
  
Tenpou's smile broadens. "Come in, Taisho! And mind the books, please!"  
  
The door opens, the swaggering general preceeded by a grey puff of cigarette smoke. "Mind the books, he says. As if I have a choice when the damn things are--woah. Sorry, sir. Didn't see you there."  
  
Goujun and Kenren's dislike for each other is as immediately tangible as the many books litering the floor. Kenren puffs out another billowing of smoke, forcing Goujun to turn up his nose at the fowl smell he has never cared for, and they regard each other with little respect and _very_ little tolerance.  
  
Tenpou, however, is smiling ever brightly, still seated behind his cluttered desk.  
  
"Commander Goujun and I were just finishing up, Taisho. I'm eager to get to work on the pressing matters _we_ need to attend to. That is...if you're up to it?"  
  
Kenren smirks. "I'm always up for what you have planned, Gensui." he says with a small bow, casting Goujun the tiniest glare out of the corner of his piercing blue eyes.  
  
The truth behind Kenren and Tenpou's little exchange has not gone unnoticed by Goujun, but he is a man of honor above all else, and holds his tongue. "I'll be leaving then, Marshall, but I hope you will earnestly consider what I have said. For your best interest, as I mentioned before. We wouldn't want you demoted to _general_, after all. I think you're a bit better than that." On these words, Goujun returns Kenren's glare, but then quickly returns his attention to Tenpou to bow before taking his leave.  
  
The second Goujun is out the door, Kenren's fists clench. "Fucking prick. What the hell was that all about?"  
  
Tenpou only laughs, leaving his papers for another time as he comes around the desk to stand next to the irate taisho. "I'm sure you can guess. He was expressing concern over certain rumors about me and thought it prudent to offer me some words of caution."  
  
"Meaning, he told you to quit fucking around with yours truly."  
  
"In so many words."  
  
"And?"  
  
"And what?" Tenpou shoots back, slightly hurt, though he would never admit it. "I expressed my gratitude and asked him to kindly mind his own business. Would you expect any less?"  
  
Forgetting his anger and sharply narrowed eyes in a second, Kenren smiles and reaches out to grasp Tenpou's waist and pull the brunette beauty in closer. "Not at all. Just being sure. I'd hate to think you put more stock in the dragon than me."  
  
"Don't be silly. I put more of _everything_ into you." Tenpou purrs, slinking his arms up around Kenren's neck. "Oh...wait...I suppose it's the other way around, isn't it?"  
  
"Your damn right it is..." Kenren purrs back, capturing a quick, fierce kiss. "Brought you something." he adds, pulling back just enough to retrieve something from his back pocket. It is a fresh new pack of cigarettes. "I noticed you were running low last night and thought I'd save you the trouble."  
  
"How thoughtful." Tenpou replies, accepting them eagerly before placing them on the desk. Kenren's arms are still wrapped around his waist, making it a little difficult when he moves to retrieve something of his own. "I have something for you, too." he explains, producing a silver-etched lighter. "You left this on the nightstand."  
  
Kenren snatches it with a look of extreme relief. "Am I happy to see this. Thought I'd lost it. Been bumbing lights all day." He releases Tenpou to pull out a fresh cig from his own pack and lights it gratefully.  
  
Slipping one from the new pack on the desk, Tenpou puts it between his lips and leans forward. "If you would be so kind?"  
  
With a rather coy wink, Kenren puts his lighter in his pocket, but then leans forward to meet the marshall halfway, lighting the other's cigarette with his own. "I can be _very_ kind when I want to, ya know?"  
  
Tenpou smiles back, enjoying the shared smoke. "Oh, I've been meaning to tell you something."  
  
"Eh?"  
  
"I went to see Konzen yesterday. Had a few things to discuss, and I wanted to see how he's getting along with that new charge of his."  
  
"You mean that thing they found down below? I heard something about it. Miss Bitch of Mercy told him to take care of it, right?"  
  
Tenpou nods. "He's a regular foster father, it seems. I met the child and found him to be rather pleasant, actually. There is danger behind his eyes, for certain, but it is well-contained at the moment, and I think his presence is having a marvelous affect on my old friend."  
  
Tilting his head questioningly, Kenren is slightly puzzled. "Behind his eyes, did you say?" he asks, hopping up to sit on the edge of the desk as Tenpou leans back on it beside him. "Is there something weird about 'em?"  
  
Tenpou looks away somewhat thoughtfully and takes another drag. "Mmm. They're golden."  
  
"Golden?!" Kenren coughs, practically choking on his own drag at the time. "Holy shit. Gold eyes? So he's..."  
  
"It would seem so."  
  
"Well, fuck me. I'll have to see that for myself."  
  
"I'm sure you'll get the chance."  
  
Something about these words echo in Kenren's head unwelcomingly, and he finds himself biting back a curse. "Really? You mean like the chance I got when I met your dear Konzen?" he sneers, snuffing his cig out in the ashtray half buried by papers on the desk. "Oh wait, that's right, I _haven't_ met him. I'm your first officer, damn it, not to mention the fact we've been screwing for months. But I guess I'm not good enough to meet the one other person who actually matters to you."  
  
Tenpou turns to look at Kenren and positively gapes. He had not been expecting that. "Have I missed something?" he counters, snuffing out his own cig with a flash of light glinting off his glasses. "Well, I'm sorry to inform you, but I don't make it a habit of introducing my underlings to Konzen, and I highly doubt he'd care to meet the man currently sharing my bed."  
  
Kenren's mouth falls open, and--being the unruly general that he is--he is not about to leave thing as they are. "So I'm just an underling, huh? Just a random fuck? Well, fuck you, Gensui, coz you sure as hell won't be fucking _me_ anytime soon."  
  
Practically leaping from the edge of the desk, Kenren bounds away, straight for the door on the other side of the room. His anger keeps him from looking back, and he wouldn't have stopped for anything...  
  
...other than Tenpou's pleading voice calling after him.  
  
"Kenren, please don't go!" the marshall cries, sounding completely different from the man who spoke mere moments before. "That was foolish of me. I didn't mean it the way you think, I just...I'm not sure how you and Konzen would get along."  
  
From Kenren's place before the door, he can feel the marshall coming up behind him.  
  
"You'll probably hate each other." Tenpou adds with a weak smile, hoping Kenren will understand and forgive his unthinking words.  
  
"Hard to know without meeting the guy, doncha think?" Kenren growls back, still facing the door with his back to his friend.  
  
Tenpou reaches his companion and slowly slips his arms around Kenren's waist to pull the general back against him. "If it matters so much to you, we can easily remedy that. My friends should be friends with each other, yes?"  
  
A small part of Kenren almost wants to push Tenpou away, but one thing he has come to realize about the marshall is that it is impossible to refuse him anything. "Well...I guess I could stay...if you promise to make it up to me."  
  
"Most definately..." Tenpou smiles against Kenren's neck, nipping lightly at the tender skin.  
  
"And...you're not sleeping with any other friends, right...?"  
  
Tenpou's smile widens. "...not today..."  
  
Kenren is about to protest that evasive reply, but instead, his open mouth forms into a moan at the feel of Tenpou's expert hands slipping beneath the waist of his pants. "...uhhnnn...damn you...Tenpou...aghn...you're not...playing...f-f-fair..."  
  
"...you say that as if you expect me to..."  
  
If Kenren wasn't so busy enjoying himself at the moment, he probably would have laughed out loud. But, things being as they are, anything left unpoken can decidedly be addressed later.

Much..._much_...later...  
  
End Part 3

A/N: I think this is my fave part so far. Clearly this part comes right after Tenpou meets Goku, but before Kenren meets either. Thanks so much all for the reviews, and since I have much in store for you in the coming parts, I hope you'll stick with me. Ja!

Crim


	4. But are we more than just lovers?

"Insubordinate conduct...disturbing the peace...fowl language!?! Che!" Kenren scowls, crumbling the report in his fist and tossing it into a passing trash can. "Like those limp-dicks would know disturbing the peace from a friggin' cat fight. At least I don't have to answer to any of that shit with the Golden God Konzen taking all the heat." On that thought, Kenren's scowl deepens and he kicks at a random stone in the path, walking along the outskirts of Kanzeon's palace. "As long as that's the only heat he's taking in place of me..."  
  
Try as he might, Kenren cannot shake suspicions that Tenpou and Konzen share more than just friendship. Meeting the blonde has only increased those suspicions, considering how pretty the lithe and graceful man turned out to be. Tenpou, of course, is instistent that the only man he wants in his bed is Kenren, but more than anyone else, Kenren understands how hard it can be to refuse a pretty face.  
  
_'I'm being stupid...and even if something was going on between 'em...what's it matter?'_ Kenren scowls, hands shoved deep in his pockets. _'It's not like we're...married or anything...'  
_  
Pausing in his step, Kenren almost laughs out loud, remembering the recent events that created the report he had been reading. A punch here, a kick there, and the Emperor's birthday celebration had turned into a real scuffle, with him, Tenpou, and a certain monkey-boy as the key players.  
  
He especially remembers the words he let slip...  
  
_'A grudge against me is like a grudge against you, right?'  
_  
And how did Tenpou respond? _'Really? Well, that's quite unexpected. I didn't realize we had such a married relationship.'  
_  
"No, you wouldn't, would you?" Kenren growls beneath his breath, his smile lost as he continues down the path. "We're just friends who fuck, nothing else. It's not like...I'm in love with you...or anything..."  
  
"Do you often talk to yourself?"  
  
Kenren's breath catches as he starts, looking around for the source of this sudden voice. There is a window just above him, and looking down at him through the open pane...is the infamous Konzen Douji. "Well, I'll be. If it isn't Mr. Pretty Boy with the droopy eyes. Shirking your duties, there, oh royal pompous one?"  
  
Flicking a stray strand of gold from his eyes, Konzen glares from behind his desk, turned in his chair just enough to look down the few feet to meet Kenren's equally challenging stare. "I thought I heard some fool grumbling about love, and figured it must be you."  
  
"Che. Still mad we got your monkey in a bit of trouble, eh? You know, I _saved_ his scrawny ass, in case you wanted to know how things really got started."  
  
"I don't doubt that, I just don't want you getting him into any more trouble. Not him...or anyone else."  
  
Now _this_ perks Kenren's attention. He stands just below the window, grinning skyward. "Anyone else? If you mean our mutual friend, Tenpou, then I'm afraid you're a little late. We get into all sorts of things together."  
  
Konzen scowls. "So I've heard."  
  
"Heh. He told you?"  
  
"He didn't have to. The rumors have reached even me, and even if they hadn't...his countenance has changed enough since he met you for me to figure out the truth on my own."  
  
"Really? I wouldn't have thought he was the type to be so easily read."  
  
"He isn't. But when you know someone long enough, even the smallest changes can be detected."  
  
Kenren decides this bit of info is as much of an invitation to pry as he is ever going to get. He transforms his smile into something as close to genuine as he can. "So...uhh...how _well_ do you two know each other, exactly?" he asks very slowly. "I mean, you grew up together, right, so...you've probably experienced quite a bit, and--"  
  
"We never slept together." Konzen states bluntly, without batting a single, blonde eyelash. "And we never intend to. It _is_ possible to care for someone without wanting to fuck them, you know?"  
  
Kenren's smirk returns. Konzen isn't the type one would usually expect such blunt language from, and for some strange reason, it sets Kenren at ease more than the blonde's reassurance. "Figures I'd be agonizing over nothing." Kenren laughs. "Well...I guess I'll be off then."  
  
"Wait." Konzen calls, stopping Kenren's intent feet.  
  
The tall taisho looks back up, raising an eyebrow expectantly.  
  
"I think you should know...Tenpou doesn't do forever." Konzen explains. "So, if that's what you think you have with him, remember this: you're expendable. I've seen him do this many times before. You've lasted longer than most, but you're not the first to fall in love with him and to think he could actually love you back."  
  
Konzen's expression holds no trace of malace or reproach as Kenren expected, but appears honestly sympathetic. There is no doubt in Kenren's mind that the blonde god means well, and that he is speaking as much truth as he knows.  
  
Funny. That doesn't make Kenren feel any better about what he has heard.  
  
"Hey...no need to worry about me, beautiful. We squared things from the start." Kenren smiles back, though his voice sounds the tiniest bit softer and weaker than he wishes it did. "It's not love. I know that. But unlike the rest, I'm also a friend. If you actually talked to him about me, or saw us together, you'd understand that a bit better."  
  
With something that almost could be percieved as a smile, Konzen turns back to his desk. "You know...I almost hope you're right..."  
  
-----  
  
"Hey, Tenpou, you around?" Kenren calls nonchalantly as he opens the door, not bothering to knock since that tactic usually doesn't get him past the threshhold anyway. "Tenpou? You here? Please be here..."  
  
"Kenren?"  
  
The general starts for a second time today, spinning to face the door to one of the storage rooms by the far wall. Tenpou is coming towards him with a pile of books stacked in his arms, looking rather dishelved. He isn't wearing his long, white coat or his tie, and his shirt has the top two buttons undone, revealing a bit of his smooth, pale chest.  
  
"I'm so glad you're here. I've been looking through some of the stacks in the back to find something suitable for Goku to read, and I was hoping you could help." the marshall explains, dumping the books in his arms onto his desk to join an assortment of others. "He seems eager to learn since Konzen's life revolves so much around reading. Not that the man ever actually reads those documents before stamping them." Tenpou adds with a somewhat naugtier grin.  
  
Kenren remains silent, partially caught up in his own thoughts, and partially distracted by Tenpou's disarrayed appearance.  
  
"Kenren? Daijobu, ka?"  
  
Kenren is suddenly very aware of the fact that he has been staring. "Huh? Oh. I'm fine. Just...distracted...today. No reason, I'm just...well...yeah."  
  
Walking from the cluttered desk to Kenren's place among the clutter on the floor, Tenpou smiles brilliantly, raising a hand to brush Kenren's hair from his face. "If we weren't gods, I'd guess you were ill, Taisho. You aren't upset with me about something, are you?"  
  
Kenren pulls away from Tenpou's touch, stepping past him towards the stack of books on the desk. "Don't be silly. So...looking for books for the rugrat, huh?"  
  
Tenpou, however, is not so easily convinced that everything is all right. "Kenren, if there is something you wish to speak to me about, I would prefer you spoke to me rather than having you pretend nothing is wrong. Now, please, what is bothering you?"  
  
"I said it was nothing." Kenren states with perhaps a tad too much force.  
  
Tenpou crosses his arms defiantly, unmoved.  
  
Sighing heavily, Kenren hops up to sit on the small space of desk still visible, looking back at Tenpou with obvious hesitation in what he is about to bring up. "It really is nothing, I just...had a little chat with your good friend Konzen today."  
  
Slowly, Tenpou advances on the desk. "About?"  
  
"Us. Me and you, I mean."  
  
"I thought we agreed not to feed these rumors any more than they have been."  
  
"He already knew, Tenpou. He's your best friend, how could he not?"  
  
Tenpou nods, his lips pursed as he finally comes to rest just in front of the flustered general. "He expressed disapproval, I assume?"  
  
"Actually, that's the one thing he didn't express."  
  
More and more, Tenpou is finding that his temper is rising at how Kenren refuses to meet his gaze. "So, you talked about us? What did he say?"  
  
Kenren swallows; he doesn't want to discuss this. Discussing it might mean losing what he has. "He just gave me a friendly warning...about how you deal with lovers when you're done with them. I told him off, of course, but...he got me thinking, I guess."  
  
"Ah. Now I understand." Tenpou smiles, pushing a good amount of the books out of the way to push Kenren more comfortably back as he climbs up onto his adjudent's lap.  
  
Kenren is understandably shocked, but doesn't protest.  
  
"Listen carefully, Taisho." Tenpou states firmly, holding Kenren down with one hand as the other begins to unbutton the rest of his shirt. "I had thought we were agreed this isn't about--"  
  
"Love. I know."  
  
"And...since this is merely friendly fucking...you should have no complaints, yes?"  
  
"I know. I just--"  
  
"No, Taisho. You just behave." Tenpou purrs, leaning down to begin sucking on one of the general's tender earlobes. "Lie still...and take what you're given, understand...?"  
  
The unruly general may have been compliant up until now, but this is the final straw. "Like hell!" Kenren says with a mighty push, trying to free himself from Tenpou's grip. He fails. "When all this started, you had me believing _I_ was the one convincing _you_, but the truth is...you've been leading me along from day one. You made me think I was doing the pursuing, that you were the one being pursued, but that's all bullshit. I was fucked even without my pants at my ankles, wasn't I?"  
  
"Yare, yare, Taisho. Won't you even let me finish?" Tenpou smirks wickedly, keeping Kenren in place effortlessly, despite the slightly larger man's attempts to break away. "I have always been in control, that is true, but that doesn't mean I intend to throw you away when I'm through with you. We work well together, and I thought we had become rather good friends. Was I mistaken?"  
  
Kenren is highly confused now. "Well...no. I thought the same thing til Goldylocks told me--"  
  
"Konzen is basing his assumptions off my past dealings, which--though logical--does not necessarily predict my future actions." Tenpou interrupts. "You see...I don't intend to ever allow you to tranfer somewhere else, and should the...non-work related things we do become a thing of the past...something I highly doubt, by the way...I will still consider you a close friend." He pauses, dipping lower to touch his forehead to Kenren's. "Are your apprehensions soothed now?"  
  
"I...I think so."  
  
"Good." And Tenpou finishes his trek, capturing Kenren's mouth brutally while squeezing his legs tightly around the general's hips. When they finally break apart, Tenpou teasingly flicks his tongue at Kenren's nose and bucks his hips a little further forward. "Now...dare question my intentions again...and I may just have to punish you. Undertsood, Taisho?"  
  
Kenren grins crookedly, internally kicking himself for not believing his own words to Konzen more than he had. "Yes, sir..." he breathes, and leans up to capture another kiss.  
  
But Tenpou pulls just enough out of reach. "And no more of this married nonsense, either. We wouldn't want anyone else to catch wise. Besides, I always end up being named the wife between the two of us, and we both know that isn't the case."  
  
"Whatever you say, husband." Kenren purrs with a lick of his lips.  
  
Tenpou's grin widens as he leans down to capture those lips again. "Now there's a good wife..."  
  
End Part 4  
  
A/N: This fic is just so much fun. I know it isn't conventional, but I wanted to spell out the incidents between the things we got to see in gaiden. I hope people are enjoying this, and that all of you will stick with me. For those of you who have reviewed so far, and are so good about watching for more parts, thankies a million! I can't wait to get to the next part. The next two are probably some of my faves, so keep an eye out and thanks again.  
  
Crim 


	5. I think I

Preemptive A/N: This next part takes place soon after Kenren and Tenpou get roughed up by Li Touten and his goons, if you know the Gaiden. Both are basically healed, since they are gods, after all, but just so you know the time frame. Enjoy!

-----

Tenpou's back arches into the movement. He shivers and his head falls back to land softly on the pillow. His hands clutch at the sheets, twisting them further with every spasm of pleasure that shoots up his spine, climbing the curves of his body. His breaths are ragged and uneven, his eyes drawn tightly closed, and though his legs are lifted up towards his head, he couldn't be more comfortable.  
  
"Uhnn...I could...stay like this...all morning..."  
  
Kenren can't help grinning at those staggered words, his own tired eyes rolling back as he grinds his hips again, a hand beneath either of Tenpou's knees to keep the marshal in place. "Mmmm...you mean...ahh...like we did...all last night...?"  
  
Smiling between moans, Tenpou struggles to look up and meet the taisho's gaze, finding it rather difficult to open his eyes, but managing it just enough to stare heavily into the sparkling blues of his favorite subordinate.  
  
Their eyes meet briefly, but Tenpou's close soon after when Kenren delivers a particularly vicious blow.  
  
"Ah!" the marshal cries, biting back an all out scream with as much dignity as he can cling to.  
  
Kenren grins. "You know...I think...I like you best...when you're like this..."  
  
Regarding Kenren with an unspoken question of curiosity, Tenpou forces an eye to peek open.  
  
Grinning with a bit more mischief than before, Kenren dips down to kiss the brunette softly on the lips. "...you look best...just like this..." he breathes, his face held low, hovering above Tenpou's mouth. "...writhing...purring...and all the while...it's happening right...beneath..._me_..."  
  
Tenpou opens his mouth to protest such blatant insubordination, but a moan to rival all those before it as Kenren increases their rhythm, driving the pinned marshal back towards the headboard, drowns the words out.  
  
They are in Tenpou's quarters--a bedroom with an attached bath, connected to the brunette's beloved office through a small hallway. Kenren's place, on the other hand, is much more like a true apartment, located in the same living area as the soldiers under his command. For reasons of discretion, the pair almost always conducts their...affairs...in Tenpou's room and on Tenpou's bed. Or in his bathroom, in the shower, on the floor, against the wall in the small, connecting hallway, on top of Tenpou's desk...  
  
You get the idea.  
  
"Fuck...I could...wake up like this...every day..." Kenren sighs, rolling to his side of the bed after both had reached a very successful end to their encounter.  
  
"You practically do...Taisho..."  
  
Kenren releases a short laugh at that, turning exhaustedly to face the beauty beside him. Tenpou is staring back at him, looking so perfectly disheveled and slick with sweat. "Practically. Except when we're at my place and you have to run out before morning. Or when you have some damn meeting in your office the next day and I'm not allowed to stay over. Or when--"  
  
"Really, Kenren, _must _you spoil the afterglow." Tenpou interrupts, reaching a hand to Kenren's face to swipe at a stray strand of black hair. "I hate it, too, but now is when we must be the most careful. Everyone knows. If we're ever caught, they'll all attack, whole-heartedly. Li Touten...already has."  
  
"Yeah, but...that had nothing to do with us. He was pissed at me for trying to take his kid's job so the poor thing could catch a break for once. And he was only pissed at you for defending me, so...so...that probably didn't help us with the whole _not _trying to look obvious act, did it? Ah, fuck." Pushing himself up onto his elbows, Kenren shakes his head to clear it, causing Tenpou's lingering hand to fall away. "That prick! He was just _looking _for an excuse to stick it to us, wasn't he? So why didn't he say anything? Why didn't he..." Kenren trails off, turning to look down at Tenpou worriedly. "That son-of-a-bitch. He didn't touch you, did he?"  
  
Tenpou smirks and gestures to his still fading bruises. "I thought that was obvious."  
  
"You know what I mean."  
  
Joining Kenren's higher advantage, Tenpou lifts himself to his elbows as well, and looks unabashedly into that furrowed expression. "No, he didn't touch me. He just...said a few things."  
  
"About?"  
  
"About...what a pretty wife I make."  
  
Kenren's eyes narrow. "Bastard. Well...shows how much he knows, huh? If anyone's submissive in this relationship, I know damn well it's me."  
  
Despite the smile Kenren throws Tenpou's direction, the marshal turns away at those words, settling for a moment back into the comfort of the bed. "Relationship? You should choose your words more carefully, Taisho. You know as well as I do what our arrangement truly is."  
  
As much as Kenren wishes he could somehow feel differently, if only to bear moments like this a little easier, that comment stings. "Just a slip of the tongue." he mends, coiling an arm around Tenpou's waist from behind as he moves to form their bodies together. Both are on their sides, with Tenpou's back pressed into Kenren's chest. "You forgive me...don't you...Gensui?"  
  
The thing is, for Tenpou, it stings a little, too. "Of course..."  
  
"Listen...I've been thinking..." Kenren begins, trying his damnedest not to get hard again, which is considerably difficult when Tenpou's skin is in full contact with every inch of his own. "...I've been thinking...that...maybe our arrangement could use a little change."  
  
Kenren instantly feels Tenpou tense against him, which does not help his little...situation...in the slightest.  
  
"It's just...we've been doing this for...shit, longer than I can remember. And...it's been great. Really. We're together more often, so...we talk more. Work sure hasn't suffered. I mean...we do our jobs _better _after spending the night together. I just...I thought...maybe...at least...I think..."  
  
"What, Kenren?" whispers Tenpou's smooth voice, sounding gruffer somehow-- turned on and anxious for...more than he may realize. Both men are obviously suffering the same problem now. All the same problems. "What is it, Kenren...?"  
  
"Well...I think...I think that maybe...just maybe...I might...be in lo--"  
  
"TEN-CHAN!! KEN-NIICHAN!!"  
  
BOING.  
  
The pair's heads lurch upwards on the bed, caused by the sudden weight of an unexpected and unwelcome guest who has just launched himself at their feet. Neither had even heard the bedroom door open; so much for playing it safe.  
  
"What the fuck is going on!?" Kenren shouts angrily, shooting up in bed to stare down at his feet, and at the large weight now resting on top of them. Tenpou does the same, and as they stare at the figure that has just interrupted them, large gold eyes stare back at them.  
  
Goku.  
  
"You!" Kenren growls, uncaring to how the sheets have fallen rather low on his waist. "Where the hell'd you come from?"  
  
"Kenren. A softer tone, please. I'm sure Goku wasn't aware he would walk in on us like this." Tenpou speaks calmly in Goku's defense. Unlike Kenren, he is very aware of the sheets, and pulls them up tightly around himself to cover any unsavory areas. He looks down at Goku then and smiles at the boy's silent and ignorantly blank expression. "Goku, you came here for a reason, I trust. Tell me, what is it you need from us so early in the morning?"  
  
Goku looks very confused, sitting cross-legged between Kenren and Tenpou's outstretched legs. He tilts his head. "Ano...Konzen told me to come, Ten- chan, since I was up already and he still wanted to sleep. I thought we could practice reading if you were up, too. I didn't think you'd still be sleeping. I'm sorry I woke you and Ken-niichan."  
  
The boy's lowered eyes and soft-toned voice make Kenren feel instantly ashamed for having reacted with such fury before. "It's okay, squirt. We weren't asleep. You just startled us a little, that's all."  
  
Tenpou turns to smile at Kenren for being able to shift with such tender ease when dealing with the boisterous child.  
  
Goku, too, smiles in gratitude, and hops a little on the bed, his spirits instantly raised. "Arigato, Ken-niichan!" he squeals. Then, after looking back and forth between the two men for a few too many awkward pauses, he turns to speak to Kenren again. "Ne...can I ask you something?"  
  
"Errr...like what?" Kenren prompts warily, already pretty sure he knows what the boy is going to ask.  
  
"Why are you sleeping in Tenpou's bed? Don't you have one of your own?"  
  
Kenren tenses; sometimes he hates being right. On the other side of the bed, however, it is quite clear that Tenpou is finding this situation absolutely hilarious. "Well...ya see, Goku..." Kenren begins. "...I _do _have my own bed..._and _my own place...I just...prefer to sleep with Tenpou, is all."  
  
"Oh. I understand. I'd sleep with Konzen if he let me." At that, Goku's eyes suddenly light up with a spark of genius. "Ne, Ken-niichan, tell me how to get Konzen to let me sleep with him!"  
  
Tenpou's laughter almost erupts completely, barely able to be contained. "Yes...Ken-niichan...why don't you inform the boy on how to do that." the marshal grins, his face becoming a light shade of scarlet with the labor of keeping himself from breaking into giggles.  
  
"Uhh...well...that's probably something you'll have to wait for til you're a bit older, okay, Goku?" Kenren mends, glaring at Tenpou out of the corner of his eyes.  
  
"Oh...okay." Goku concedes, looking slightly crestfallen, though he once again bounces back with a vengeance. "Can we practice reading then? It's time to get up, ne? Please, please!"  
  
"Sure, Goku." Tenpou consents with a smile. Kenren, however, looks clearly violated; there is no way he can finish what he had been about to say now.  
  
Nevertheless, _both _men prepare to toss the covers back and get out of bed, when they suddenly realize that doing so would result in much needed therapy for a scarred Goku for at least the next few years. Goku, of course, is completely oblivious, and remains poised between them.  
  
"Ano...Goku, could you go wait in my office so Kenren and I can get up?"  
  
"Eh? Why? I don't mind if you're in your underwear."  
  
Tenpou's smile twitches. "Well...it's just that...we're not in our underwear, Goku."  
  
"Then what's the problem?"  
  
"Well...you see...we...we're...we're--"  
  
"We're not wearing anything!" Kenren blurts out, saving Tenpou the task of saying it. He is then suddenly much more aware of just how low the covers had been on his waist as he pulls them back up. "Tenpou and I are naked, okay? NAKED."  
  
Goku tilts his head again, much more confused than before. "Naked? You sleep naked? Together? But...why would you..." Goku's eyes widen and he flinches back, nearly toppling off the end of the bed. "Gomen. Gomen, gomen. I didn't know you were...together like _that_."  
  
"Whoa, hang on." Kenren jumps in, his dark eyes narrowing in accusation. "Together like _that_? You mean...you know about this kind of stuff?"  
  
Slowly, Goku slips onto the floor, blushing furiously. "Sure." he shrugs, his gold eyes staring at his feet. "Konzen told me the basics a while ago. Said he was afraid someone else would give me the wrong idea. So...I know what it means when two people sleep together all night...naked. But...Konzen said those things happen coz a man and woman fall in love. Aren't you both men?"  
  
Tenpou's smile returns broadly, pondering what else Konzen's G-rated explanation entailed. "Yes, we're both men, Goku, but sometimes people of the same gender do those things, too."  
  
"Oh."  
  
"And they aren't always in love."  
  
"...oh."  
  
Kenren scowls at Tenpou's addition, but says nothing.  
  
"Do you understand now, Goku?"  
  
"I think so, Ten-chan." Goku smiles, lifting his head just enough to catch the others' gaze. After sharing that smile a moment, the boy turns--content- -and bounds towards the door. "I'll wait in your office now, k? Don't take too long."  
  
Laughing lightly to himself once Goku has keft, Tenpou pulls the covers back and gets up, heading to his closet to fetch a clean set of clothes. He dresses silently, as does Kenren, who is forced to pull on his clothes from the previous day. There is a tangible thickness in the air around them, as if what has been left unsaid would give anything to be given a voice.  
  
Once both are dressed and Tenpou has managed to make his bed look a little less like a battlefield, the pair heads for the door. Tenpou smiles as their hands nearly touch, both reaching for the knob at the same time, but the expression falls when Kenren flinches away. Tenpou pulls back as well then, but decides to use this opportunity to turn his gaze up and catch the general's attention.  
  
"You were about to say something when Goku came in." he mentions as offhandedly as possible, noting the instant tension that grips the general's shoulders as he speaks. "Tell me...what was it?"  
  
Kenren swallows. "Nothing." he lies, reaching for the knob again and turning it to open the door in front of them. He can't bring himself to finish the confession when he is still so unsure what the response will be. "Nothing important." And with a rather weak smile, he steps out into the hallway, not waiting for Tenpou to follow.  
  
Tenpou does follow, though fairly slowly, and closes the door behind them. "Nothing...of course..." he breathes, too light for Kenren to hear. He continues down the hallway at Kenren's heels, neither saying another word until reaching his office, where Goku awaits them and where they will have no choice but to act once again as if everything is just as it should be.  
  
End Part 5  
  
A/N: So sorry it has taken me so long, but I have been unbelievably busy. A friend returning home from Switzerland (who will be marrying a swiss boy at the end of the month), work like crazy, and just...too much else. So, sorry again, but I will try to be better. The next part will be the last as Kenren and Tenpou. After that, we switch into Gojyo and Hakkai. Hope you're still enjoying and please don't punish my lateness by not reviewing. :-) Love you all!  
  
Crim


	6. love you

_Kenren: I have to see Marshal Tenpou about something. Know where he is?  
  
Tenpou: Aa. That's me. What do you need?  
  
Kenren: You're kidding.  
  
Tenpou: Oh yes. I don't believe it myself sometimes.  
  
Kenren: Right.  
  
Tenpou: So, who are you?  
  
Kenren: Oh, forgive me. I come to you today, having been kicked ou--ahh, transferred from the Eastern army, to assume the duties of general in the Western one. My name is Kenren. I would ask your Excellency to look favorably upon me in my position as your subordinate officer. So...yeah. That's about the size of it.  
  
Tenpou: Ah. So, you're my new general.  
_  
-----  
  
_Kenren: You're a big-time, impressive Marshal and all, right? So why do you still go out in the field with the men?  
  
Tenpou: Don't you think that's more fun? Besides, why's someone like you a soldier at all?  
  
Kenren: Why? Partly cause I'm interested in Down There, and cause I hate being bored, and cause I can feel my mind rotting--  
  
Tenpou: And because you want to feel like you're alive?  
  
Kenren: Yeah, probably that, too. So...when is it that_ you _feel like you're really alive?  
  
Tenpou: Hmm...maybe that split second when I think just how good a cigarette tastes?  
  
Kenren:_ Now _we're talkin'.  
_  
-----  
  
_Kenren: A grudge against me is like a grudge against you, right?  
  
Tenpou: Really? Well, that's quite unexpected. I didn't realize we had such a married relationship._  
  
-----  
  
_Tenpou: The order's just come down that you're dismissed as general.  
  
Kenren: ...heh.  
  
Tenpou: There's no 'heh' about it. I can't get on with people the way you do. If I may state my personal position, I'm not so flexible that I can work under just anyone.  
  
Kenren: Tenpou..._

-----  
  
_Kenren: We can't turn back now.  
  
Tenpou: I never had any intention to.  
_  
-----  
  
_Tenpou: Well...'If we're all fools together, we may as well dance.'  
  
Kenren: Never heard that one. What is it?  
  
Tenpou: A famous saying Down There.  
_  
-----  
  
"Tenpou!"  
  
"Take care of Konzen and Goku, Kenren. I'll handle this."  
  
"Like hell! There's no way I'm letting you take the door by yourself. They'll be inside any minute."  
  
"I'm aware."  
  
"Then let's hold them off together."  
  
"Kenren--"  
  
"No! We don't stand a chance alone."  
  
"You don't stand a chance together."  
  
Kenren and Tenpou turn in unison to face their ex-commander, who is tied up on the floor. It is just them along with Konzen and Goku inside the small building, though an army of Li Touten's personal soldiers surround them from outside. It is the beginning of an impossible battle they have no chance of winning.  
  
"You know it's true." Goujun continues, tense against the wall at his back, with eyes that sear fire, though he would never ask for vengeance. "Listen to me. You can still surrender."  
  
"We're not surrendering!" Kenren shouts.  
  
"Then you'll die. If you surrender, you will be stripped of all power and undoubtedly imprisoned, but you'll live. Please, don't throw eternity away over these silly ideals. It isn't worth it."  
  
Tenpou calmly steps closer to the dragon king and bends down in front of him. "If this is not worth dying for...what is?" he smiles--a smile that is so much more than any other mouth could make it. "If we can help it, no harm will come to you when all this ends, but please, do not try and change our minds. Heaven isn't worth living a lie." The marshal stands back up and turns without looking at either the dragon or his companion as he heads for the pulsing door.  
  
"Damn you, Tenpou, listen to me!" Kenren calls after him, grabbing the brunette's arm and pulling him firmly back against him. "They'll come when they come, and we'll both be ready for them. Don't you dare die without me..."  
  
Relaxing back into that too soothing embrace, Tenpou allows hesitation no one but the general could even hope to create inside of him. "...okay, Kenren. We'll wait together." He turns within that comforting hold and places a hand on Kenren's flushed face. A part of him would love to indulge in a kiss, but now is not the time.  
  
Kenren returns to his post between Goujun and the door, and Tenpou walks the short distance to Konzen, who is sitting on the floor at the far back of the room with a comatose Goku--still in his true form as Seiten Taisei--slumbering in his lap.  
  
"Any change?" the marshal asks, smiling down at his friend. He has never known Konzen to be so emotional and full of fear, but he would sooner take Goku's place than ever look down on his friend for finally showing some reaction to life.  
  
Konzen shakes his head, clinging so desperately to the small boy, his white knuckles appear even paler than normal.  
  
Tenpou strains to maintain his smile. "One never knows what may happen. Don't lose hope yet."  
  
"How can you say that...?" Konzen breathes, tears stinging at the corners of his eyes as he stares at Goku's still face, and at the shallow breaths moving his small chest in such an awkward rhythm. "Look at him. Look at _us_. There is no hope..."  
  
Crouching down, Tenpou reaches out and places a firm hand on the blonde god's shoulder. "There is always hope, my friend. Even if this ends in the worst possible way, who is to say death would be enough to keep the four of us apart?"  
  
Tenpou's smile--holding strong--even has the power to soothe the coldest kami of all, and Konzen nods, returning his attention to Goku as he strokes at the boy's soft, brown hair. But Tenpou only has enough time to stand and take in the sweet sight before him for one small moment, before their losing battle errupts around them.  
  
"Tenpou, the door!"  
  
BOOM.  
  
Though Kenren has called out in warning, it is not enough. Everyone is thrown back as the door blasts open and Li Touten's soldiers begin storming the building, pushing through the debris they have just created.  
  
The countdown has began...  
  
"Come on!" Kenren calls, grabbing Goujun by his bonds to pull the dragon along.  
  
But Goujun is immovable. "Don't waste your time on me." he speaks firmly, wrenching free. Kenren stares at him questioningly, but Goujun is steadfast. He returns the general's stare with something unbelievably like...understanding. "Just run, you fool, and get as far as you can."  
  
Kenren pauses only a moment to grin back at a man he has never liked, though now he is certain he can learn to respect, before dashing as far from the door as possible.

He reaches the far end of the room and searches through the dust to find Tenpou and the others. Spotting the marshal pushing himself up from the floor, he rushes to help his friend stand, and both know there is no time for words as they steady themselves and turn to look for Konzen and Goku nearby.  
  
Thankfully, Konzen is already on his feet, Goku being carried heavily in his arms, and once realizing they are all together, the three gods take off towards the far door, barrelling through it and down the hallway on the other side. There is a large room at the back of the building, but no other exits.  
  
No way out.  
  
"What are we going to do?" Kenren asks, shutting the door behind them. His eyes widen. "No lock. Shit."  
  
"What do you mean, no lock?!" Konzen cries, already huddled on the floor with Goku in his lap. It takes alot out of his thin frame to hold so much weight, considering Goku's chains. "This is impossible. Impossible." Rocking despite himself, he clings ever more tightly to Goku and stares down into that too beautiful face. "Please, Goku, wake up. I hate to ask this of you, to use you, but if you'd only wake up, you could save us all. Please...we need you..."  
  
Once again, Konzen feels a gentle weight on his shoulder, but this time, it is the unruly general who is offering support. "We can do this, you hear me? Now, I want you to find the darkest, furthest corner, and you stay there no matter what happens."  
  
"We'll hold them as long as we can." Tenpou adds, standing right beside Kenren as added support.  
  
Konzen nods, feeling so weak, so useless, but knowing there is nothing more he can do but pray for a miracle.  
  
"They have real guns, Kenren, not our usual tranquilizers." Tenpou speaks once Konzen has disappeared into the shadows of the far wall.  
  
"Gotta love Li Touten's power these days, eh?" Kenren grins back, the pair bookending the door, listening to the loud shuffle of swiftly approaching feet. "Though I guess they have a right to shoot us, don't they? Treason overrules everything, even the law that says gods can't kill."  
  
Tenpou flexes his fingers, laughing lightly at Kenren's comment. "It's funny, isn't it? We're just like those living in the world below. We spout morality, but in the end, we turn and kill each other without remorse."  
  
"Yeah...irony..."  
  
The door cracks, under pressure from the many bodies slamming into it. Apparently, they haven't thought to see if it is locked.  
  
"So...I guess this is it."  
  
"It would seem so."  
  
Finally, the knob is tested, and the door begins to open.  
  
"Kenren..."  
  
"Tenpou...please forgive me."  
  
"Forgive you? For what?"  
  
"For this..."  
  
The door opens fully, and as the soldiers rush through, Kenren shields Tenpou by pulling the marshal safely behind him. Under orders, Li Touten's men make no hesitation...and fire, releasing enough rounds to be fatal even for a god.  
  
Tenpou stops breathing, unable to form a single, coherent thought. Kenren's body is convulsing right before his eyes, catching every bullet in order to keep him safe. If Tenpou had a wit left, he would be throwing Kenren to the floor to protect _him_ instead, but he is too stunned, too horrified...horrified at the sight of his dear friend...being gunned down an inch in front of him.  
  
"K-Kenren..."  
  
The firing subsides and the soldiers swarm inside, surrounding them. But as far as Tenpou is concerned, they don't even exist.  
  
Kenren crumbles to the ground, and Tenpou reaches forward to catch him, falling with him until both are huddled on the floor, painting a picture far too similar to Konzen and Goku, who--for now--remain forgotten.  
  
"You fool...you stupid fool..." the marshal speaks, his voice a tremor, mirroring the rest of his trembling body. He had himself believing he could survive seeing this, but he hadn't been ready for it. Not like this. He is not ready to hold Kenren as he dies. "Why...why did you do that?"  
  
Kenren blinks slowly, a smile forming on his blood-tinged lips. He already looks so unearthly pale. "I...bought you a moment..." he winks, his chest rising and falling too quickly with the labor of clinging to his rapidly fading life. "I figured...I owed you..."  
  
"You didn't owe me anything, Kenren. Damn you...I...I would have died beside you..."  
  
"Yeah...well...I never said I was too bright...did I...?" the general laughs, sounding choked back with the blood rising in his throat.  
  
The wounds covering Kenren's body are so many and so gruesome, Tenpou would have had to look away if he'd been in the right mind to notice. At the moment, he is too busy staring into those familiar, blue eyes. Already, he can see that those eyes are fading; Kenren barely has a moment of his own.  
  
"Te...T-Tenpou...?" Kenren cringes through a wave of pain, shaking so hard, he can barely hang on to the hand clinging so desperately to his own. "...s-s-suki...s-suki da..."  
  
And even as tears are beginning to stream down his pale face, Tenpou smiles. "Suki? No, Kenren. No." Bending his head lower, he presses a kiss softly to Kenren's quivering lips, and whispers, "...ai shiteru..."  
  
When Tenpou pulls back, Kenren is smiling, but though his lips try so hard to move--to say _anything_--in the end, they fall forever silent.  
  
"No...no...Kenren, please..."  
  
"Enough with the sentiments. Your husband's dead, Gensui." sounds one of the soldier's voices from somewhere behind him. Tenpou doesn't respond. "On your feet, traitor. Come quietly and the Emperor might just show you a little mercy." Still, Tenpou remains as he is. "I said, get up!"  
  
WHAM.

The butt of a rifle strikes the side of Tenpou's face, sprawling him to the floor. He is dazed a moment, but in truth, the blow is what finally clears his mind.  
  
Before any of the soldiers has the chance to reach down and pick him up, Tenpou springs to his feet and strikes, uncaring to who or what he hits. Two of the soldiers fly back with the force of that first blow, and another handful are fended off as Tenpou blindly fights, lashing out in every direction.  
  
"Put him down, now!"  
  
"Stop messing around and get him!"  
  
"Fire, you idiots!"  
  
BANG. BANG. BANG.  
  
Tenpou doesn't even remember falling, he only knows the feel of the cold floor at his back, and the feel of a very different cold seeping into every limb as his vision begins to darken.  
  
_'Forgive me...Kenren...Konzen...dear Goku. It was a fool's dream...'_  
  
And the voices around him begin to dim, though he does not know how long it will be until he will hear even his own voice again. And Heaven--his home--begins to fade, though he does not know that he will not see it again. And all questions concerning those left behind--Konzen, Goku--are left unanswered as one thought flashes again and again through Tenpou's mind.  
  
_'Kenren...I love you...I love you...I love you...'_  
  
And even in the darkness, Tenpou would swear he can still see Kenren's grateful, beautiful smile looking back at him...  
  
End Part 6  
  
A/N: OMG! I could barely write this. I just wish they could all be saved somehow, you know? Everything was better in the Gaiden, damn it! (sniffle) Anyway, I hope you enjoyed Kenren and Tenpou's end in my version of how things went down. As for Konzen and Goku, you know you don't even have to ask, because we all know what happened.  
  
For the record, all of the stuff at the beginning was actual dialogue from the Gaiden manga, and I just felt the need to share it with everyone. Also, I love all those moments when it is so obvious that Kenren and Tenpou are more than friends.  
  
Okay, the next part will be heading into Gojyo and Hakkai, with some Kenren and Tenpou moments, too, though to know what I mean, you'll have to wait and read. Love you all, and thanks as always for such faithful and heartfelt reviews. I love doing this. :-)  
  
Crim


	7. Gojyo & Gonou

_'Kenren...where are you...why can I never find you...?'_

The years have inched by, one lifetime after another, with each one lived in separation from those they care about most. Tenpou has never once seen Kenren, Konzen, or Goku since breathing his last immortal breath almost 500 years ago.

And neither have any of the others.  
  
_'Tenpou...this time...this time I'll find you...I promise...'_  
  
Every life is the same. They are born, they live out lives of tragedy, they never once meet any of the others, and then they die, all the while without any memory of their former lives until they are put back into the stream of reincarnation. For that brief span of time, when their souls are being prepared to enter into a new life, they remember everything, but still, they can never--ever--find each other.

They can never have the one thing they want.

_'Kenren...I'm so sorry...we stood no chance...and yet we gave up everything...for nothing...' _

_'It was my fault, Tenpou...for being so reckless...if only I had known...' _

_'I'll find you, Kenren...somehow I'll find you...'  
  
'If it takes me a thousand lifetimes, Tenpou...I swear I'll find you...'_  
  
-----  
  
"Hey, you little brat, get back here!" Jien calls as he runs, trying very hard to hold back his laughter as he chases his younger brother down the hill, gaining on him by the minute. "Give me back my clothes right now, Gojyo, or I'm skinning you for dinner!"  
  
Poor Jien made the mistake of going out for an afternoon dip in the pond near their house and left his clothes on the bank. When little Gojyo nabbed them and took off towards the house, he was forced to sprint--naked--after him.  
  
As for Gojyo, right now he couldn't be having more fun.  
  
"Catch me if ya can, aniki!" he squeals, darting back behind the house, and leaving Jien a good many yards behind him.  
  
As Gojyo zigzags through the clothesline in the backyard, his brother's things tucked securely under his arm, he doesn't realize he is about to run into his stepmother until it is too late.  
  
"Uff!" Gojyo falls back onto the ground, sending Jien's clothes up in a shower of articles that tumble down to land on top of him.  
  
His stepmother has dropped the clean shirt she had been about to hang up, and spins around to see what caused the sudden jolt. When she sees Gojyo sprawled on the ground, her slitted eyes immediately narrow. "How dare you!" she growls, reaching down to snatch Gojyo up by the arm. "How many times have I told you not to disturb me? And now look! Look at all these clothes you've dirtied."  
  
"But...but it was only the shirt you had, kaa-san. These are--"  
  
"I don't want your excuses, you horrid little beast." she throws back, gripping his arm hard enough now to cause him to cry out in pain. "And don't call me that! You're not my son, and I am not your mother. You're...you're just a mistake nobody wanted!"  
  
Gojyo's eyes go wide at that, and as she pulls back to strike him across the face he does not try to get away. He closes his eyes and waits for it. Anything to keep her from crying over him again...  
  
"Mother, stop! Gojyo didn't do anything." appeals Jien's sudden voice, halting the blow.  
  
Gojyo opens his eyes and sees that Jien has come up behind their mother and grabbed her arm to stop her. He also notices that Jien has a towel wrapped around his waist, something he must have grabbed off the line.  
  
"Please, mother, they're just my clothes. He helped me carry them back from the pond, that's all, and he ran ahead without looking where he was going." Jien continues, releasing her arm and urging her gently to release Gojyo's in kind. "Right, Gojyo? That's what happened, isn't it?" he adds, looking to Gojyo with a raised eyebrow that demands for the boy to play along.  
  
"...h-hai. I was...just trying to help." he nods, holding back the tears stinging in his crimson eyes.  
  
His stepmother stares down at him, still furious, but she releases his arm anyway before pushing past him towards the front of the house.  
  
Gojyo stays where he is a moment, having fallen onto his knees when he was let go, and looks in disdain at the red strands of hair falling into his eyes. "I hate my hair. My eyes, too. Why do they have to be red, Jien? Why do they have to make her hate me...?"  
  
"She doesn't hate you." Jien offers in comfort, hoisting Gojyo up into his arms to carry him back into the house. Gojyo is tall for his age, so this isn't the easiest thing in the world, but Jien always manages anyway. "She just has a short temper and gets upset over silly things. Don't worry about it."  
  
Gojyo sniffles and digs his head into Jien's chest as he is carried inside and brought to his room. "I'll clean your clothes if they got dirty. I'm sorry I took them. I just thought it'd be funny."  
  
"It was funny, pal. I almost bust a gut."  
  
"Really?"  
  
"Yeah. You're a great kidder, making me run naked all the way home. Hehe. I owe you, ya know? I should give you a bath in pickle juice tonight to make up for it."  
  
"Jien!"  
  
Jien laughs and tosses Gojyo lightly onto his bed before hopping onto it himself to join him. "I'll grab you some dinner, k? You should probably stay clear of Ma for the night. And don't worry about my clothes. I'll get 'em later."  
  
"Thanks, Jien." Gojyo smiles. The expression turns a little wicked then as the boy suddenly pounces on top of his brother, hanging on tight for a hug as they roll on the bed. "I love you, aniki."  
  
A sad, little smile takes over Jien's features as he hugs Gojyo back. If he could have one wish, it would be for Gojyo to have a better life, with a mother that loved him besides just a brother. "I love you, too, squirt. So much..."  
  
Perhaps...too much...  
  
-----  
  
"Gonou, are you sure you don't want to come outside with the other children? It's such a beautiful day and I'm sure they'd let you play with them."  
  
Cho Gonou is sitting in the small library in his orphanage home. As always, a rather advanced book for one so young rests between his tiny hands, and he stares blankly at the pages, his lips set into a thin line, with eyes hidden behind glasses that look as if they have never known a smile.  
  
The sister standing over him is one of the few yet to give up on breaking him from his shell. "Please, Gonou. It isn't good for you to stay inside all the time. You need to make friends with the other children."  
  
"Why?" Gonou asks softly, not taking his eyes from the book.  
  
The sister--Sister Patrice--is slightly thrown by this response. "Why? Because...everyone needs friends. Companions. Confidantes. You'll miss them when you're older if you don't learn to make them now."  
  
"I don't need companions or confidantes." Gonou replies, flipping a page. "I don't need friends. I'm just an orphan nobody wants. What does it matter?"  
  
Sister Patrice pulls up a chair next to the small brunette and smiles as reassuringly as she can. "I guarantee you that you are not just an orphan no one wants. We all care for you here, and when you turn 18 you will go out into the world to one day fall in love and start a family of your own."  
  
Gonou turns another page, seemingly uninterested with either the conversation, the book, or both.  
  
"Think on it, won't you? I'm only asking you to take a small reading break so you can go out and play with the others. Is that really so hard?"  
  
At this, Sister Patrice gets up and slowly slips out the door, leaving the young boy to think about her request.  
  
Gonou sits just as he is for a number of minutes more, turning each page with less and less enthusiasm, until a great sigh signals his defeat as he closes it and gets up, leaving it behind on the table.  
  
He goes to the window at first, not quite sure he is ready to just rush outside and join in on the apparent fun. Some of the children are scrambling around on the small play set, others are jumping rope or skipping stones, and a few are even playing tag or hide and go seek. To a child his age, everything does indeed look fun, but he hesitates. He is not well liked by the other children due to his silence and his brooding moods.  
  
Curiosity wins over in the end, however, and Gonou discovers his little feet are quickly leading him out of the room and outside to investigate first hand.  
  
Once out in the sunshine, he shuffles his feet anxiously, looking from one group of happy children to the next, and wondering how on earth he is supposed to ask to join in without feeling any lower than he usually does. Off to his right and a bit ahead he can see Sister Patrice smiling at him.  
  
He does not smile back.  
  
"Look, the little bookworm finally crawled out of the library. Do you think the sun's gonna melt him? He's so white, you can practically see through him." a snotty boy with stringy blonde hair asks one of his friends as they pass Gonou by.  
  
"He freaks me out." answers another, talking quite loud, enough for Gonou to clearly make out what they are saying. "He never talks and he's always looking at the rest of us with that creepy expression."  
  
"No wonder he's an orphan." pipes in yet another. "His parents probably took one look at him and wished they could send him back. I don't even think I've ever seen him smile. Let's stay away from him."  
  
"Yeah."  
  
"No kidding."  
  
"I don't want to play with him."  
  
"He should just go back to his books."  
  
So Gonou listens. He has never been very good at dealing with the other children's insults, and he is in no mood to deal with them now, even if it will cost him that suddenly unattractive quest to make friends.  
  
With Sister Patrice looking on longingly, he slips back inside and heads for the library again, with his same, sad expression darkened a bit more than it had been, as if hiding something even more sinister than he may realize he possesses.  
  
-----  
  
"Sorry, Sanji, but that's all I can stick around for, tonight. Pay up."  
  
"Come on, Gojyo, just one more hand. Let me win back something."  
  
"No can do, pal. Gotta save a little time for the ladies. Right, Shai?"  
  
The girl at Gojyo's side throws him a wink, hooking her arm with his as he stands from the poker table and waits for Sanji to pay his dues. It has been another successful night for the noted card shark, and with the beautiful Chiisa Shai on his arm--her rich brown hair falling in waves past her voluptuous body all the way to her waist--the night's winnings are only the beginning.  
  
"Thanks again, Sanji." Gojyo smirks, pocketing his newly won cash. "Maybe a rematch tomorrow night, eh?"  
  
"Yeah...maybe." Sanji grumbles, before heading to the bar to drown his sorrows in the few drinks he can buy with what money he has left.  
  
Gojyo, however, is on cloud nine, and leads Shai out the door to walk her home, where he will most definitely be asked to stick around. He doesn't usually take girls back to his place, for obvious reasons: if he's in someone else's bed, he can leave in the morning before they wake up. Besides, he has only recently acquired a home of his own, finally able to leave cheap rooms in rundown inns behind him. The little house he bought isn't much, but it's his, one of the few things he has ever owned his entire life.  
  
They walk in companionable silence for the most part. Shai isn't much of a talker, something Gojyo is very grateful for, and best of all she lives alone. Being a young teenager, Gojyo often ends up going after girls who still live with their parents, making sure the fathers around town don't care for him too much anymore. At 18, he has already bed a good many of the women in town at least once--he had been a rent boy back in the day when funds were tight, and now seeks women out for the company he grew accustomed to--and he prides himself on his flawless technique, both for getting women into the bedroom, and for what happens once they're there.  
  
"You're such a sweet thing, Gojyo, walking a woman home this late." Shai smiles, laying her head on his shoulder as they walk. She is soft-spoken, with a feathery voice that melts in the air. "Tell me, why do you agree to spend time with me, someone twice your age, when you could be seeking out some pretty teenager?"  
  
Gojyo grins in the dim lighting of the street; he has been with Shai a few times now, and she always asks him this. "No little girl could ever compare with you, Shai. I know a real woman when I see one. I just can't believe some guy hasn't swept you up and married you yet."  
  
A light ring of laughter flutters from out of Shai's soft, pouting lips. "You know, you could always change that yourself."  
  
"Hehe...yeah..."  
  
"Who could say no to you, after all? With that gorgeous red hair and those crimson eyes to match. You're like a pixie out of a fairytale."  
  
They have reached Shai's house, but at the door Gojyo hesitates. He had really been looking forward to a night away from home; why did she have to go and say something about his hair and eyes?  
  
"Is something wrong, Gojyo?" Shai asks, releasing his arm as she pulls out her key to unlock the door. "You're coming in, aren't you? You deserve a reward after such a lucky win tonight, ne?"  
  
"Uhhh...maybe some other night, Shai. I'm not in the mood right now. I'll see you later."  
  
"But...Gojyo!" she calls after him, but it is already too late, because he is hurrying down the path to continue out of town towards his house.  
  
'Every time.' he thinks bitterly, kicking at the stones along the way. 'Such a pretty red. Such pretty hair and eyes. What do they know, anyway? I never asked for this hair...these eyes. I never wanted them...'  
  
When he does reach home and climbs into his cold, lonely bed, he does not sleep, but stays awake most of the night remembering why he hates his hair and eyes in the first place.  
  
-----  
  
"Great day today, minna! I'm very proud of you. Now, hurry home, and I'll see you at school tomorrow, okay?"  
  
"Okay! Sayonara, Sensei!" the children shout in unison, hurrying from the small schoolroom to head home for dinner.  
  
Gonou smiles at the retreating rugrats, and reaches up to wipe his brow. Handling a classroom full of boisterous boys and girls is a real chore, but one he adores more than he ever thought possible.  
  
Retreating back inside to collect his things, Gonou hums to himself happily, occasionally having to swipe some of his long brown hair out of his eyes, or having to push his glasses back up onto the bridge of his nose.  
  
"You have a lovely voice, you know? You should sing to the kids some time."  
  
Gonou spins around with a smile, met by the sight of his dear Kanan poised in the doorway. "Why hello there. Came to pick me up, did you?"  
  
"I wanted to hear right off the bat how your first day of teaching went. Not that I have any doubts it was wonderful, especially after seeing all those happy faces rushing past me on the way in."  
  
Gonou laughs, finished putting all of his things into his bag as he heads for the door to join Kanan outside. "It was perfect. I just love working with the kids."  
  
"I know." she smiles back, taking his arm once both are out in the sunshine. "Why is that? Not that there's anything wrong with loving children--I certainly do, and I love that you do, too--but why were you so adamant to get this job? You acted like you wouldn't have been happy with anything else."  
  
"I don't think I would have been." he answers truthfully, peeking over his shoulder at the school as it disappears behind them. "When I was a boy, I wasn't the happiest child, so I suppose I feel perhaps a little responsible for making sure no other children grow up as I did."  
  
"You certainly turned out all right to me."  
  
"I mean the way I grew up, not the result." he grins, reaching his hand up to playfully tap his love on the nose. "I want to do for others what was so hard for the sisters to do for me. I just want to see the children happy and to teach them as much as I can along the way."  
  
Kanan pauses in her step, forcing Gonou to stop as well. She clasps his free hand tightly and turns to face him. "I love you, Cho Gonou. To find someone so kind and equally beautiful makes me the luckiest person in the world."  
  
Gonou's smile widens. "Isn't that supposed to be my line?" he speaks softly, leaning in a little closer.  
  
"Hmm...I might let you have it back if you convince me."  
  
"Yare, yare...how on earth am I going to do that...?" Gonou whispers, before closing the small gap between them and pressing his lips firmly to hers.  
  
Sadly, the sweet moment does not last long.  
  
"Ewww, Sensei's kissing a girl!"  
  
Gonou and Kanan almost burst out laughing into each other's mouths as they turn to locate the source of this sudden voice, and see that a small group of Gonou's students are just ahead of them. There are a handful of boys and girls, the girls now sporting bright red blushes, while the boys are grimacing.  
  
"Is she your girlfriend, Sensei?" inquires a cute little redhead with pigtails and a teal jumper.  
  
Kanan raises a humored eyebrow to see how Gonou will react.  
  
"Ano...well...yes, Mika, she is. Children, this is Kanan. She is a very kind woman, so please be kind to her in return."  
  
"Hi, Kanan!"  
  
"You're real pretty."  
  
"You're pretty just like Sensei."  
  
"Can you come visit us some time?"  
  
"Oh, I don't know about that." Kanan smiles, still holding tightly to Gonou's hand as she turns more fully to address the many bubbling children. "I'd certainly love to visit you, if you want. That is, if it's all right with your teacher, of course."  
  
Gonou laughs a little, suddenly under fire of an onslaught of hopeful looks upon young, rounded faces. "I don't see a problem with that. Personally, I think we should ask Miss Kanan to come for reading time once in a while. She tells marvelous stories."  
  
Kanan promptly blushes, but nods as the children begin to bounce with excitement at the prospect.  
  
"I guess that settles it then. But you children better run on home so your parent's don't think I've stolen you away, okay?" Gonou instructs.  
  
Pausing long enough to shout their thanks as they wave goodbye, the children are soon racing ahead to their homes, once again leaving Gonou and Kanan alone. The pair continues on in peaceful quiet before reaching the edge of town where their home rests. They haven't been living together long, but their neighbors can't comment enough on how they seem as if they are already married, and is if they have been for years.  
  
At 18, Gonou is the youngest teacher the town has ever known, and his maturity and tactfulness--not to mention his good looks--has made Kanan the envy of every women around.  
  
"I really do love you, Gonou. So much." Kanan coos, shutting the door behind them as Gonou walks in to set his bag where it belongs.  
  
Gonou smiles back at her, speaks something that could have been taken right from poetry, and kisses her again, thinking that he must indeed be the luckiest person in the world, and as long as they get to be lucky together, he will always have a reason to smile.  
  
-----  
  
"I can't believe I'm doing this. Did the words, 'No, Doc, I can take care of him myself right here,' actually leave my lips? I must be going out of my mind."  
  
Sitting in a chair next to his now occupied bed, Sha Gojyo leans forward and sighs. No, there is no buxom woman lying there about to be ravished, only an unconscious and wounded young man with shaggy brown hair and green eyes Gojyo only got a glimpse of. He doesn't even know the poor guy's name.  
  
"So here we are, buddy. Me and you." Gojyo speaks, resting with his elbows on his knees as he talks to the comatose patient breathing so irregularly on his bed. "I could have left you there, ya know, lying in the mud with the rain pouring down on you. But...no, I couldn't. Even if you hadn't looked up at me like that, I probably still would have hoisted you up, carried you back here, and stuffed your guts back in til the doctor came. Well, no one ever said I was that smart, now, did they?"  
  
The young man says nothing, of course, but his breathing seems to stabilize at the sound of Gojyo's voice. Gojyo notices this, so he decides to keep talking.  
  
"Sexy voice, huh? Too bad you're not a woman. Actually, scratch that. Thank the gods you're not a woman coz I'd probably hit on you the second you woke up. You are gonna wake up, ya here me? Gotta find out who I saved, after all. I'm Gojyo, by the way. Sha Gojyo. A confirmed bachelor at 19, and the best damn poker player you'll ever meet. Hey, maybe we can play a game some time. You know, if I guessed, I'd say you're probably about the same age as me. Makes me wonder even more...how you ended up out there like this...bleeding so bad. Doc said it's gonna scar. I'm sorry. But, hey, at least it's somewhere you can hide it. Woulda sucked if it'd been on that pretty face of yours."  
  
Gojyo grins to himself, wishing he could have some signs of life on the other end of the conversation, but happy enough that the doctor said there's a good chance this stranger will pull through.  
  
Casting a quick glance outside and at the clock on the wall, Gojyo realizes just how late it is. It was almost midnight when he found the guy, after all, so he shouldn't be surprised that it is now almost half past three.  
  
"Listen..." Gojyo starts in again, leaning a little further forward to hush his voice, as if there is some secret he needs to keep from the flies on the walls. "...I know you're banged up real bad and all, and I'd like to give you your space, but the Doc said to keep you warm, and...well...this is the only bed, see? I don't even have a couch. So...either I sleep on the floor, or...I offer a little body heat. Understand?"  
  
The young man remains as still as ever, though his breathing has evened out even more than before.  
  
"Well, since it seems you don't mind me too much, I guess I'll take that for permission."  
  
Gojyo stands and begins to dress himself for bed, which basically involves tossing off his shirt and shaking out his long, red hair. He blows out the small lamp near the bedside, and then carefully feels his way to the bed. Gently, he nudges his guest to one side of the mattress, being more tender and caring then he ever would have given himself credit for before now, and then slips under the covers.  
  
It is strange at first, sharing his bed with a man, especially one he's never met. The last time he slept in the same bed as someone who wasn't a woman he had just fooled around with was after a nightmare a few days before...before Jien saved his life...and then left it for good. Still, although this situation brings up a few painful memories, Gojyo feels at ease...for the first time in years.  
  
A deep breath brings in a mingling of scents as he stares up at the ceiling, tired, but not quite ready to drift off. There is something like medicine combined with mud and rainwater that is drifting from the still stranger, but there is also something else, something purely unique that radiates from the brunette in oddly familiar waves. If Gojyo didn't know better, he would swear he had slept beside this man before.  
  
Turning his head, he takes a peek at the man's face, now so close to his own. Pale skin, delicate, feminine features, and long eyelashes lie beside him. The young man is indeed pretty for all his bruises and cuts. Even a lady's man like Gojyo can't deny that.  
  
"Looks like we'll be roomies for a while, stranger." Gojyo whispers, unthinkingly curling in closer to the warmth of the body next to him. "I can't wait to meet you..."  
  
-----  
  
_'This time, Kenren...this life...I swear I'll meet you...'  
  
'I'll remember somehow, Tenpou...and I'll find you...and it'll be just as it was before...'  
  
'Me and you...friends and lovers...like before...only...only this time you'll know how I feel...'  
  
'This time...I'll get the chance to say those words back to you...I promise...'_  
  
-----  
  
End Part 7  
  
A/N: That was...very interesting. I didn't once think, I just went with what came to me, and poof! Moments in both boys' life until they are brought together again.  
  
Now, for those who may be under the misconception that this is the end, I can tell you it is not. There will be at least another part, if not two or three, so hang in there for more. Love you all, you wonderful reviewers you.  
  
Me-Nuriko--Thanks you for the vote of confidence. I hope I lived up to your expectations so far and that I will continue to as Gojyo and Hakkai tell their side of the story.  
  
KawaiiLilMarron--There is nothing wrong with being a transvestite Kenren. It's just nice to know he's getting some recognition.  
  
Seaflower (and so many others brought to tears) --Thank you so much. It was very hard to write, but so worth it.  
  
Krazy-chan--Glad I could help, and I agree. The Gaiden is wonderful.  
  
Zelgadis55--Awww. I loved writing that last part so much. I'm so glad it was to everyone's liking and I hope it will continue to be.  
  
And to all the rest, thank you so much. This is such a fun fic, even with all the angst. More to come, so keep a look out. Love ya, minna!  
  
Crim


	8. Domesticated

Brutally broken from what had been a very sweet dream, Gojyo is roused roughly as he suddenly finds himself face down on the floor, having landed with a painful thud after _someone_ gripped his exposed ankles and pulled. He doesn't get up, though, instead reaching blindly for the blanket that is hanging slightly off the nearby bed and pulls it down to land on top of him.  
  
He nearly surrenders back into blissful sleep then, before that blanket is rudely swiped away. Gojyo is used to this treatment, so he once again chooses to ignore it.  
  
"Gojyo..." begins a warning voice.  
  
"I'm sleeping."  
  
His attacker offers a humored snort. "Hardly. Besides, it is well overdue for you to be up and about."  
  
Gojyo groans. It's the weekend, isn't it? It has to be. "Come on, 'Kai, just five more minutes..."  
  
"No."  
  
"Ugnnn..." the kappa whines, burying his head in the crook of his arm. "I hate you."  
  
"No you don't."  
  
Damn it. Gojyo can practically _feel_ his friend's smile. "Why do I have to get up anyway?"  
  
Hakkai crouches down beside Gojyo and lifts up the curtain of crimson hiding his friend's face. "You said we could go shopping for another bed today, remember? Honestly, the way you keep putting it off, one might think you enjoy sleeping with me." Hakkai smiles warmly, forcing Gojyo to scowl back at him.  
  
"I'm no queer, thank you very much. I just...don't see why we need another bed. I mean, we had just the one all through your recovery, and we've been fine for the past nine months since you've been back. It's a little crowded, but...I don't mind. It'll save us money if we just leave things alone."  
  
Knitting his brow together curiously, Hakkai falls back to sit cross-legged on the floor as Gojyo props himself up onto his elbows. "I don't mind either to tell you the truth. It's only...well...I assumed you would be happy to get rid of me so...so you could bring your companions back here once in a while instead of staying over with them. Am I mistaken?"  
  
Shifting onto his back now, Gojyo puts his hands behind his head and sighs. He has always been the kiss and tell type. Always. But not with Hakkai. "Wouldn't change things anyway. You'd still be in the same room, and there's no way I'd feel comfortable getting lucky with you just a few feet away."  
  
"Well...that brings us back to our old conversation again, Gojyo."  
  
"You're not moving out."  
  
"I'm an invasion of your privacy just by being here."  
  
"You're not a burden. I want you here."  
  
"And you don't mind the...inconveniences?"  
  
Gojyo huffs, sitting up and spinning around to sit as a mirror image, cross- legged in front of Hakkai. "Look, if I want to get laid, I'll find a way, and if that includes sleeping at the girl's place, it ain't a problem, okay? So...can we just drop this urge of yours to spend mass amounts of my winnings, already? Coz unless you want a bed because _you_ want it, I don't see why we need one."  
  
"Fair enough."  
  
"Good. Now where the fuck'd you put my blanket?"  
  
Hakkai laughs genuinely and points back up on the bed where he had redeposited the blanket. Thankful, Gojyo reaches up, pulls it over his head, and feigns sleep if only for a few more moments of quiet rest.  
  
With another soft laugh, Hakkai rises and leaves the redhead be, though if Gojyo chooses to remain so lackadaisical for the remainder of the day, he will be forced to resort to drastic measures again.  
  
Shuffling into the kitchen, Hakkai decides that a little breakfast will be just the incitement the kappa needs to rouse fully. As he begins to cook up what he can find--they really need to hit the market today--his thoughts stray to the oddity of the pair's arrangement. It has indeed been nine months now since he moved in with Gojyo under his new name: Cho Hakkai. It has been nine wonderfully content months that feel almost impossibly easy even after the time they spent together when he was still...Gonou.  
  
Gojyo now knows all of Hakkai's secrets, all the haunted details of his past, and Hakkai has gradually found out equally heartbreaking tales of his friend. They really do make a good match for roommates. Bedmates, though...that begins to make things complicated. Hakkai knows that if he just leaves things be, as Gojyo has asked, he can continue to pretend there is nothing odd about them sharing the same bed, in the same home, while sharing each other's lives. After all, friends share their lives. They share their homes sometimes, too. They share their...beds...don't they...?  
  
_'I've grown so used to it. To me...it would feel wrong without him.'_ Hakkai reasons, boiling water for rice and coffee in the same kettle to save on dishes. _'I guess...I assumed he would want me to have my own bed, but...he seems just as...soothed by our arrangement as I am. Is it really so strange? If we were women it certainly wouldn't be, and it isn't fair to live by a double standard. Perhaps Gojyo is right about many things. I think too much...'  
_  
"What's on the menu, Ma?" Gojyo's smooth voice asks, his red head slithering forward to lean over Hakkai's shoulder.  
  
_'So predictable, Gojyo...'  
_  
"I have asked you repeatedly NOT to call me that." Hakkai replies, resisting the urge to scratch where Gojyo's hair is tickling the side of his face. The red locks are growing back nicely. Not quite to his chin yet, but long enough to fall into the kappa's crimson eyes often. "I'm just making something simple to tide us over till we make a market run later. If you get ready before I'm finished, I'll allow you to waste money on taking us out to lunch."  
  
Gojyo gives a short laugh. Hakkai took over the house's funds almost immediately after moving in, though he still refers to the money as if it belongs entirely to Gojyo.  
  
"Oh, and I have a meeting tomorrow to discuss that substitute teaching job." Hakkai adds, still ignoring Gojyo's close proximity as best he can while beginning to pour hot water into too mugs and gesturing for the kappa to fill them with their instant coffee mix. He then takes the remaining water and adds the rice, stirring it gently as the kernels settle. "I'm only reminding you so you remember that tomorrow is Tuesday. Trash day. Don't forget just because I won't be around."  
  
"Yes, honey." Gojyo smirks, slithering away to make the coffee as he has been ordered. He then takes his with him as he heads back into the main room to change.  
  
Thankfully, he doesn't have to bathe, having managed to squeeze in a late soak the night before, knowing Hakkai would expect him ready sooner than he would want to be up--as always.  
  
"Hey." he calls towards the kitchen, pulling a clean shirt over his head. "Why do you need an interview for that teaching thing anyway?"  
  
"Any new teacher would require one." Hakkai calls back.  
  
"Even though you've taught before?"  
  
"They don't know that."  
  
"Why not?"  
  
"I can't exactly tell them."  
  
Gojyo sticks his head back inside the kitchen, one hand still carrying his coffee, while the other tries inelegantly to button his slacks. "You can't tell them? Why? It would make your resume look too good?"  
  
Sighing heavily, Hakkai turns out to face the now dressed and somewhat presentable water sprite. "It would lead to too many questions. Where did I work before? How long? How can they contact them? Things like that. And I'd rather not leave a trail leading...anywhere. Cho _Hakkai_ has never taught. That is the truth, yes?"  
  
Feeling suddenly very foolish, Gojyo smiles and nods. He hates unwittingly reminding Hakkai of his past. Now that he knows the full extent of that past, he _really_ hates it. "Shutting up. So, how's breakfast coming?"  
  
Hakkai smiles back at him, looking a little flushed, ashamed at himself for allowing his tone to turn sharp, though Gojyo had barely noticed. "Almost finished. But...is _that_ what you're going to wear today?"  
  
Gojyo groans loudly. "Gods, 'Kai, you're as bad as a nagging wife..."  
  
-----  
  
"Hurry up, Gojyo, it's nearly past noon already." Hakkai calls from his stance outside their front door. He is wearing a white, button down shirt that is tucked into trim, khaki slacks. In his pocket is a long list of things they need at the market. His right eye is--of course--covered by his monocle. "You look fine, Gojyo. Can we please be on our way?"  
  
Gojyo hesitantly stumbles out the door, tugging at his color. Hakkai has dressed him in a black, fitted, long-sleeved T-shirt and deep burgundy pants. He looks very nice, and he knows it, but he still feels a little constricted in the freshly pressed clothing. "When'd you get this stuff?"  
  
Hakkai's smile brightens as they begin walking down the path into town. "A week or so ago. I had planned to save them for a special occasion, but I'm glad I decided not to wait. They look wonderful on you."  
  
Stuffing his hands in his pockets, Gojyo represses a blush. "Whatever. You don't have to baby me, ya know? I can buy my own clothes." Gojyo notices that Hakkai's smile twitches at his words and he instantly regrets having said anything at all. "I'm being an ungrateful bastard again, aren't I? Look, I love the clothes. You're just so much more thoughtful than me, I never know how to say thanks."  
  
A laugh--so predictable. "Well, you're welcome. Now, why don't we concentrate on what we need at the market today." This having been said, Hakkai pulls out his list. "Item one: bed. Well, I guess I can cross _that_ off."  
  
Gojyo pretends not to notice Hakkai's smirk and remains silent.  
  
"Two: groceries."  
  
"Heh. _That's_ specific."  
  
Hakkai is undaunted and smiles wider. "We're out of everything, so I figured it would be monotonous to write it all down. I know what we need."  
  
"What else is on there?"  
  
"Hmmm..." Hakkai mulls over the list a few moments. "We're running low on cleaning supplies and we could really use a new broom after what you did to the last one."  
  
"That wasn't my fault."  
  
"Right. The broom was the one who danced with you after getting drunk at the bar."  
  
Gojyo places a cigarette between his lips and winks. "You got it."  
  
After Gojyo has unsuccessfully attempted to light his cigarette for a good five minutes, Hakkai finally decides it is time to continue. "Ah, yes, the next item on the list...a new flint for Gojyo's lighter."  
  
Gojyo grumbles with his customary 'che' and tosses his useless cancer stick to the ground while jamming his lighter back into his pocket. "Jerk."  
  
"Now, now, be happy I put it on the list at all. I could always try and make you quit."  
  
"Next item on the list: new house for Hakkai..."  
  
"Point taken."  
  
Naturally, there isn't a single ounce of actual animosity between the two, and they share a humored smile as they continue on.  
  
The pair still has a few minutes before they will be at the edge of town, but the trip is never a hassle as long as they have each other as company. In fact, though neither would likely admit it, the walk to and from town is probably one of the most enjoyable events in their day. Even on a weekend when Hakkai could be curled up with a good book and Gojyo could be out stalking the streets for women--alone.  
  
"So, is that everything on the list?" Gojyo asks after a minute or two, kicking at the pebbles along the path.  
  
"Just one more thing. A water dish for Hakuryuu."  
  
"What?"  
  
And--right on schedule--a loud 'kyuu' sounds above their heads as the blur of a white span of wings appears from nowhere and begins flying towards them. Somehow, the small dragon manages to land softly on Hakkai's shoulder anyway, and nuzzles the brunette's neck affectionately.  
  
Possessively.  
  
"Good morning, little friend." Hakkai greets his pet. "Have a good hunt?"  
  
"Kyu!" the dragon chirps in affirmation.  
  
Gojyo, unlike Hakkai, does not find this amusing or adorable. "You're spending _my_ hard earned money on something for that...flying rat?" he asks, childishly crossing his arms in front of him. "Figures, since you've already named it and gotten yourself attached. Just coz you find some wild creature in the forest one day, you expect me to let you move it in like a second boarder? What if it has some kind of disease or something."  
  
"Don't be ridiculous. Hakuryuu is more obsessive about keeping himself healthy and prim than you are about having your daily dose of nicotine." Hakkai counters, stroking the little dragon on the head. If Gojyo didn't know any better, he would swear the thing was glaring at him. "Besides, _he_ found _me_. I swear...it almost seemed like he...knew me."  
  
"Yeah, well, I thought after the first week he'd be on his way, but now he's gone and gotten all comfortable with us." Gojyo grimaces. "Comfortable with _you_ anyway. As for me, if you and I weren't sharing the same bed, the stupid thing would probably try and kill me in my sleep."  
  
"Oh, Gojyo."  
  
"Just look at how he stares at me." Gojyo pipes in, before Hakkai has the chance to shoot his suspicions down. "He acts like I'm trying to steal you away from him. Well, I got news for ya, buddy." he adds, leaning towards Hakkai to address the dragon on his friend's shoulder. "I had him first."  
  
Finding these words rather humorous, Hakkai arches an eyebrow. "Oh you did, did you?"  
  
Oops. "You know what I mean." Gojyo covers quickly, pulling back.  
  
"Well, neither of you has any need to be jealous. The three of us can get along just fine, I think. Besides, after discovering Hakuryuu's secret, I would think you would be just as excited to keep him as I am."  
  
"Turning into a jeep would be a great trick if he let someone other than _you_ drive once in a while, which he _doesn't_. We could be using him right now, by the way."  
  
Hakkai raises a slender finger towards the sky. "One should never use gifts frivolously, unless one wishes to lose that gift prematurely."  
  
Groan. "And here's me without my apple..." Gojyo grumbles beneath his breath.  
  
Hakkai hears him, but chooses to ignore it. Ahead of them, the town is finally coming into sight. "Hakuryuu, would you be so kind as to head back home until we return?" he asks his pet. "Gojyo and I have shopping to do and your presence seems to attract excessive attention."  
  
The dragon promptly chirps in agreement and rises off his master's shoulder to head back down the path, though not without passing a rather unnerving glance in Gojyo's direction.  
  
Hakkai, naturally, doesn't notice.  
  
"You don't believe that thing is out to get me, do you?"  
  
"I'm afraid not, Gojyo."  
  
"Well, if ya wake up one morning and I'm gone, and that thing has this familiar-looking, red floss between its teeth, _then_ will you believe me?"  
  
Hakkai doesn't reply, but his light laughter lingers all the way into town.  
  
-----  
  
"Here they come again, Meiko. Like husband and wife practically."  
  
"They're so obvious. And they think we don't know? The whole town knows."  
  
"Two young men living together, both in their prime, with Gojyo steering away from women more and more while his housemate doesn't even bother looking at the girls in town? They might as well just admit the truth."  
  
"No kidding."  
  
"I mean, honestly, how could anyone look at those two and not assume they're sleeping together...?"  
  
Though they had been well out of hearing range for most of this exchange, Gojyo and Hakkai pass by the gossiping women's fruit stand just as the final phrase is spoken. Gojyo's ears perk up at the insinuations he knows are directed at them, but Hakkai discreetly nudges him in the side and shakes his head. There is no point in starting a fight that has no possibility of ending well.  
  
Once they have passed the stand by, however, Gojyo turns to Hakkai anyway.  
  
"Those old hags don't know shit." he curses, keeping his voice hushed for Hakkai's sake, though not terribly hushed. "Like our lives are any of their business anyway. Two people can't live together these days without the whole town getting the wrong idea? These people know me. I've chased half the skirts in town. More than half. And more than once. Shit. It just really pisses me off, ya know?"  
  
Hakkai smiles throughout Gojyo's entire rant, glancing from stand to stand as they walk through the market. When Gojyo finishes, he merely shakes his head. "Really, Gojyo, I'm surprised you let them get to you. Let them think what they want. We know who we are, and that should be enough for us, yes? Rumors never bothered you before."  
  
"Yeah." Gojyo answers reflexively. "Wait. What?"  
  
"Hm?"  
  
"Nothing." Maybe he was just imagining things.  
  
"We're pretty much done, it seems." Hakkai offers happily, a bag in either hand just as Gojyo has one in both of his. "Is there anything in particular you want just for you before we head home?"  
  
No reply.  
  
"Gojyo?"  
  
But Gojyo's attention is focused on the other side of the alley, on a particularly lovely brunette. She is modestly attired, but the way her simple green dress fits her trim body is incredibly enticing, and something in her soft green eyes, matching so perfectly with her clothing, draws him in, so much so that he can barely hear his friend's humored voice calling his name.  
  
"Gojyo? Gojyo? You're drooling all over our bags, Gojyo."  
  
"Huh? What? You say something, 'Kai." Gojyo mumbles, his eyes still trained on the woman across the way.  
  
"Not a thing." Hakkai smiles, having long ago grown accustomed to Gojyo's need for female companionship. "You know, if you'd like to go talk to her, I'm sure I can get these things home by myself."  
  
Finally, Gojyo is roused from his ogling as he turns back to Hakkai. "No way. I'm fine. Just admiring a nice view, is all."  
  
Not one to stand in anyone's way over anything, Hakkai is rightly skeptical. "I wouldn't want to keep you from a worthy conquest, Gojyo. She seems...rather pleasant."  
  
Gojyo would have laughed out loud at Hakkai's attempt at 'guy-talk', but refrains, believing he would end up offending his friend, if anything. "Pleasant ain't the half of it, but I promised to help _you_."

"You know, I wouldn't have thought a woman like that would be your type."

"You kidding? She's...she's...hn. You're right. I guess my tastes have changed. But it doesn't matter, coz right now I'm with _you_. And I'm not about to make you walk back on your own, loaded down with all this crap. I can get a woman on my own time. So zip it...and let's head home."  
  
A small part of Hakkai debates bringing up the comments those women had made about how obvious the two of them appear, but he knows not to. He merely smiles and nods as they turn back to find the path that will carry them home.  
  
END PART 8  
  
-----  
  
A/N: Hmmm. I don't know. I didn't think at all again, I just let the boys take me. Basic, random moments again, just to show the progression of their life together. No they aren't sleeping together, if you didn't catch that, and they are completely oblivious to any feelings they may or may not have at this point. They are content and happy. I think there will be two more parts. One set very close to the start of the journey to show how they progress after the three full years together, and another set during the journey. Kenren and Tenpou didn't get to speak this round (though if you caught the little slip about rumors you saw that they are still present) because it isn't their life. However, time will tell how much more influence the past lives will have.  
  
yayoi25--Sorry, but if I WAS Kazuya Minekura, the Saiyuki boys would be bonking canon. :-) A LOT.  
  
Me-Nuriko--Even though this has nothing to do with this fic, yay for Gay Pride in Sweden! And thanks for the review on "Day of Silence."  
  
Everyone else, you rock! You rock my socks off! Thanks so much for everything and please continue as I keep pumping out what I can. I love this fic!

P.S. For some reason, certain words or group of words sometimes don't appear. Not bad ones, normal ones that just don't show up in quick edit no matter what I do. So forgive the occasional lapse of a missing word. So far I've only found this a few times, but just so you know.  
  
Crim


	9. Back to the beginning

_'Don't leave me, Tenpou.'  
  
'I need you.'  
  
'Death could never be the end.'  
  
'I'll find you.'  
  
'This life or the next.'  
  
'Somehow.'  
  
'I miss you.'  
  
'I miss your touch.'  
  
'Your voice.'  
  
'You...lying next to me.'  
  
'And me...inside of you.'  
  
'Come back to me.'  
  
'Find me.'  
  
'Love me...again.'  
  
'Tenpou.'  
  
'Tenpou...'  
  
'Tenpou...'  
  
'Tenpou!'  
_  
-----  
  
Gojyo's eyes spring wide, his breath caught high in his throat. His dream has shaken him deeply, straight to his usually nonchalant core, and yet, he does not understand it. All he can remember as the visions fade is the smell of cherry blossoms, the lingering taste of wine, and the sound of his voice calling for someone he has never met.  
  
Bringing a slightly shaky hand up to swipe at the now damp hair clinging to his forehead, Gojyo releases the breath he had unconsciously been holding. He has had similar dreams for quite some time now, all staggered with no real purpose or sense of place and time. They began the first night he brought a certain brunette home with him and have grown increasingly stronger as the years pass. Now, nearly three years since the pair began to live together, he swears the dreams must have something to do with Hakkai.  
  
But what?  
  
A fleeting glance to the right brings Gojyo face to face with the back of his friend's brunette head, turned away from him in sleep. It appears Hakkai hasn't been awakened by Gojyo's sudden start, and for that he is very grateful. Had Hakkai awoken he would have most certainly been forced to explain himself.  
  
Once upon another dark night, Gojyo had almost confessed his dreams, of dreaming about something...about to Hakkai. He caught himself before taking that deadly plunge, however. The last thing he needs is for Hakkai to think he...  
  
Gojyo shakes his head, not even allowing himself to think along the lines he had been headed. Hakkai is his dearest friend in the world. Sure, they live together. They do all the shopping together. They eat every meal together. They almost always come home together. And...they sleep together. But...why should that mean anything...unordinary?  
  
_'Coz every so often...when I wake up like this...all I want...is to pull you back against me...and hold you there...'_ Gojyo thinks with an uncharacteristically sad smile. _'...even if you'd just wake up and blast me back into next week...'  
_  
But Gojyo can never say that out loud, and he certainly can't ever indulge in such dangerous ideas. Besides, it is only a foolish side effect that comes from living with one person for so long. He knows it doesn't really mean anything. And as for those dreams, they're just...dreams.  
  
Settling more comfortably again, Gojyo lays facing Hakkai's back, a good few inches set between them even in their too small bed. He closes his eyes, but still, the same image remains in the darkness. Tousled, brown hair and the curves of a body he knows better than he knows the body of any woman he has ever been with. After all, he patched this body back together and has slept next to it for three long years.  
  
And for 500 years he has been haunted by something so similar to the real thing, he doesn't even realize the beauty of what he has.  
  
-----  
  
He knows Gojyo has only just fallen back to sleep, that the half-breed had recently roused himself from what must have been a very jarring dream, but he remains still, feigning his own sleep until he is certain Gojyo has once again drifted off.  
  
Hakkai has also had a rather odd dream, having shocked himself awake only a few heartbeats before Gojyo. It had been a familiar dream, one he knows well these days. A dream filled with books, cigarette smoke, and his own voice calling for someone he has never met. He has debated many times telling Gojyo of the dream, because the more he has it the more he feels it has something to do with his friend. But he refrains, believing he would only strain their comfortable relationship. Gojyo has his own odd dreams and never feels the need to tell Hakkai. Why should he feel the need to tell Gojyo something the redhead wouldn't share in return?  
  
Confident now that it is safe to move, Hakkai shifts, rolling over unto his other side. The act brings him face to face with Gojyo, who has settled in facing him. The kappa's expression is devoid of its usual roguishness, now something so purely boyish Hakkai would think the man younger than he is if he didn't know better. Gojyo's hair fans over the pillow like...like some lovely shade of red spilled over a field of white flowers. Not blood. It doesn't have to be blood. It's just...Gojyo red.  
  
_'And if I wasn't so afraid of what you might think of me, my friend...I would run my hands through that perfect color...'_ Hakkai muses, smiling a sad little smile that reaches his eyes better than any manage to during the day.  
  
He stays that way, watching his friend's slow breathing and occasional twitch, content with the few inches between them, even as a tiny part of him longs to bridge the gap and pull Gojyo into his arms.  
  
When did friendship blossom into something more? Could it have been there all along, slowly nurtured year by year to bloom overnight suddenly as something neither really knows how to deal with? It must have, for now it is strong despite both ends being too stubborn and oblivious to see and embrace it for what it truly is.  
  
And after 500 years, though they are once again sleeping side by side, they are further apart than they have ever been.  
  
-----  
  
"Tadaima, Gojyo!"  
  
Kicked back on the bed for a nap he never quite got to enjoy, Gojyo peeks over at the door to watch Hakkai jovially walk through it.  
  
The brunette hangs his coat on the nearby rack, sets his shoes neatly by the door, and enters with a smile--as always. "Back from gambling already? I'm sorry I wasn't here for dinner if you've been home all this time, but I was meeting with my student's parents tonight if you remember, and it ran a little long."  
  
Gojyo offers a wave of his hand. "No prob. I only just got back about half an hour ago from hitting the bar and wasn't all that hungry anyway." he dismisses, swinging his legs over the side of the bed to sit up. "Won a pretty sweet pot so I thought I'd come home early. Sounds like you had a good day, too. I _did_ remember about the parent thing, by the way. How'd it go?"  
  
Hakkai stretches with pleased fatigue and pulls up a chair from the small table near the bed. "Wonderful. Everyone is doing quite well. Even Shion, who really had me worried at the beginning of the year. Talking with the children's parents always sets me more at ease. I just can't believe the school year is almost over and that vacation is just around the corner."  
  
Gojyo doesn't reply, but is soon struggling to contain a slight chuckle that is steadily growing beneath his breath.  
  
"Have I said something funny?" Hakkai inquires.  
  
"Nah, it's just...you get so pumped about this stuff. It's kinda...cute."  
  
Hakkai promptly blushes. "Well...I can't help enjoying what I do."  
  
"It's not a bad thing, 'Kai." Gojyo mends, unable to stop the wink that follows his words. "What would it take to get you to leave your teaching job, I wonder."  
  
"Oh...only the end of the world."  
  
The pair shares a laugh, not yet getting the joke that in less than a month they will no longer be laughing.  
  
"You get rather 'pumped' about your card games, you know." Hakkai states back. "We really don't need you to go out at all anymore with my salary putting bread on the table, especially since we learned long ago to live on such meager earnings, and yet out you go, usually stumbling back rather late. Though I suppose you _are_ always home for dinner, even if you merely go out again afterwards."  
  
"And I'm always home before you hit the sack." Gojyo adds. "I can't remember the last time we went to bed alone."  
  
"Oh, my, imagine if one of the women in town heard you say that. It would validate those rumors of theirs, I think."  
  
"Us sleeping together would do the job on its own. That's not exactly normal, ya know?"  
  
"It is for us."  
  
"Then how come you put up the cot we never use whenever Sanzo and Goku come to visit? Don't want them catching wise of our arrangement?"  
  
"Ano...that...that's just--"  
  
"Just you pretending we're normal when you know we're not."  
  
"Really, Gojyo, _must_ you spoil a good conversation with...with something that really doesn't need discussing?" Hakkai puts in quickly, sitting perhaps the smallest bit more rigid in his chair.  
  
Gojyo instantly recognizes this as Hakkai-code for _'Please drop the subject; I'm not ready to talk about this yet.'_ Which is pretty much how they have lived for the past three years--bordering on truth, but always one step away. Things are comfortable just as they are, and as long as they don't address the peculiarities that could lead to similarly frightening discussions, things can remain that way without the fear of anything being lost.  
  
Funny. What they should fear is that which they have never had.  
  
"Now, why don't I go make us some dinner." Hakkai speaks, with an obviously forced smile, one Gojyo is expected to ignore. "Are you planning on going out again, or is the evening ours to spend together?" he adds, slipping out of his chair to head to the kitchen and make good on his suggestion. He is rather famished.  
  
Gojyo remains poised on the end of the bed, still fighting down an incessant urge to bring up the subject of sleeping arrangements and other oddities all over again. But years of experience have taught him better. "Yeah, I'm in for the night. Maybe you can humble yourself to beat me at poker a few million times again, if you don't have papers to grade, that is."  
  
A soft chuckle signals Hakkai's acceptance of that challenge.  
  
"And would you let _me_ help, for once. I _can_ cook, you know, ya damn mother hen."  
  
Laughter sounds again, echoed quickly by Gojyo. The entire evening plays out much the same--light laughter coupled with clever avoidance of something that has been inching to the surface since the day they met.  
  
And 500 years after admitting love, they no longer know how to recognize it.  
  
-----  
  
"Did you hear what I said? Sanji went all pointy ears and fangs on me and had to be put down. Sanji! We've played cards for years, 'Kai. There's some serious shit going down." Gojyo rants feverishly, calling through the bathroom door at his housemate, who has yet to speak in reply.  
  
Just then, the door opens, revealing Hakkai dressed for travel with his bathroom supplies gathered into a bag that is clutched in his hand. "Which is exactly why I have packed our things to meet up with Sanzo and Goku." the brunette explains, breezing past Gojyo and gesturing to the packs by the door that the half-breed somehow missed when rushing inside. "We leave when you're dressed. Don't dawdle now."  
  
Gojyo stands stunned a moment, agape, mouth wide and brows furrowed. Eventually, he remembers to speak. "How do you _do_ that?" he asks, shaking his head as he turns towards the bed, where his own travel clothes have been neatly laid out.  
  
"I had an encounter myself this morning while traveling back from that teachers meeting one town over." Hakkai speaks, unable to stop himself from tidying up while waiting for Gojyo to change. "A rather large number of youkai children, who I can guarantee you were _not_ looking for a tutor, nearly ambushed me. Thank goodness I decided to take Hakuryuu for the trip instead of walking. The motor's running, by the way."  
  
A few hurried minutes later. "Okay, okay, I'm dressed." Gojyo grumbles, snapping his headband into place. "Oi...you okay?" he adds, noticing that Hakkai is looking over their home with a bit too much meloncholy for what he hopes will only be a short trip. "It's not like we'll never see the place again, ya know? We're just going to find out what's happening to the youkai, right? We'll be back in time for next week's poker tournament."  
  
Hakkai turns his solemn eyes on Gojyo, smiling with little reassurance, as if he somehow knows--or at least understands--something Gojyo does not. "I'm sure we will, but just in case something happens...I do hope the house holds up well."  
  
Hoisting both packs onto his shoulders, Gojyo walks to Hakkai and begins leading his friend to the door with light pressure at the brunette's back. "It's the home that matters, and that's us. And we're gonna be just fine."  
  
"Yes...yes, I know." Hakkai nods, slowly consenting to walk out the door and leave the house behind as they hop into the waiting jeep. "I still can't help thinking that since this is affecting youkai--"  
  
"You were born human and I'm only half." Gojyo cuts in, watching his friend closely as Hakkai shifts into drive and starts off down the road. "We'll be fine."  
  
"Yes. But then there's Goku--"  
  
"Who is something so different from a normal youkai, he'll be fine, too."  
  
"I...I suppose you're right."  
  
"I am."  
  
"And...if this is a serious problem..."  
  
"We'll deal with it."  
  
"And...you know, Gojyo, that I...that we...that you and I..."  
  
Gojyo stops Hakkai with a hand on the monocled man's shoulder, smiling into the face trained so intently on the road. "You and I...we're us. The best of friends in the whole damn world...right?"  
  
For the most fleeting of moments, Hakkai tears away from staring ahead and looks back into the crimson eyes he knows so well. He smiles--an honest smile. "Right."  
  
And after 500 years...they are still searching in the dark for what has always been right in front of them.  
  
END PART 9  
  
-----  
  
A/N: See the progression? Neither can quite admit anything yet, and then with the journey, they are interrupted. The next and last part (sniffle) will be placed about halfway into the journey, after all the Chin Issou stuff, prolly right before things switch into the Homura section. At least, that's where it feels right to me, but really, it can be anywhere.  
  
Comments are, as always, so appreciated. I'm glad I am doing the boys justice.  
  
Crim  
  
P.S. I just turned 20 last week! Woohoo! 


	10. I do love you

"Damn it, saru, enough already! Go to bed!"

A familiar voice rings loud and rough through the trees surrounding the ikkou's makeshift camp. Hakuryuu is not in the mood to sleep as the jeep, so the group has been forced to take refuge in a nearby clearing. In all honesty, most of them prefer times like this. The ground is always more comfortable than a seat.

A fire rests in the center of the clearing. Hakuryuu is layed out in front of it, Sanzo sits close by, along with Hakkai and Gojyo, and Goku stands hovering near a nearby tree, looking up hungrily at a bee hive in one of the branches.

"But, Sanzo! I can almost reach it, and I'm so hungry!" Goku whines, jumping up and down as he swipes at the abandoned hive. Since there are no bees, there is most likely no honey, either, but Goku doesn't seem to realize this.

BANG! BANG!

The hive falls from the tree, landing at Goku's feet. A lone bee flies out and then off into the woods. Goku picks up the hive happily, instantly digging in a hand to get at the remaining honey. "Sankyuu, Sanzo!"

Sanzo grimaces, putting his gun back within his robes. "I was aiming for you, stupid monkey..."

Hakkai shuckles. "I highly doubt that." he smiles. "At any rate, you've made him happy. But, Goku!" he adds, calling to the younger boy, who is now stuffing his face with a sticky mass. "Please, go to bed. You can save the rest of what's in there for tomorrow. Sanzo would like an early start."

Grudgingly handing Hakkai the hive, knowing the healer will keep good watch over it, Goku licks his fingers clean and goes to lie down near Sanzo. Sanzo, too, lies back, trying his best to appear as if he is keeping his distance, while maintaining a certain closeness to Goku, as well.

Gojyo stretches back, watching his companions a moment, then turns his attention on Hakkai, who has set the hive aside and is staring up at the clear, starlit sky. "Pretty night, huh?"

"Indeed."

"Almost feels like being home, doncha think? Watching the stars on the roof..."

A more genuine smile seeps into Hakkai's expression. "Yes..."

Gojyo looks up at the sky a bit longer, then turns back to Hakkai. "I suppose we should be hitting it, too, huh? I'm just...not all that tired."

"I feel the same. Care for a walk before bed?" Hakkai suggests, tearing away from the beauty of the sky to face a very different sort of beauty. He smiles warmly, a slight tilt to his head. It is an expression Gojyo can rarely, if ever, say no to.

"Sounds perfect."

The pair gets up, passes a quick glance at their already sleeping companion and their obviously still awake companion--despite all of Sanzo's attempts to feign slumber--and head down a path in the trees towards the sound of running water. They walk in comfortable silence until reaching the source of the sound. A small brook.

Gojyo sits down by the bank; Hakkai stands nearby, leaning against a tree. There is no need for words, but, as always, Gojyo finds himself talking anyway.

"Think we'll reach a town tomorrow?"

Hakkai nods, though Gojyo isn't looking at him to see it. "Yes. Before dinner, I imagine, which will make Goku happy."

Gojyo gives a short laugh, lighting a cigarette that blinks bright red in the darkness. "You cater to that monkey too much. He's turning into a spoiled brat."

"Turning into? You must be in a good mood tonight." Laughter. Easy laughter.

Gojyo echoes it. "You just gotta twist everything I say, doncha?"

"Naturally."

A snort. "Prick."

A chuckle. "Delinquent."

"Me? I'm just misunderstood."

Hakkai laughs a little louder this time and moves from his tree to sit beside Gojyo. It is a bit chilly tonight, and he doesn't realize how close he is settling himself beside the warmth of Gojyo's body.

Of course, Gojyo doesn't notice, either. At least, not enough to tell Hakkai to keep his distance.

"Sometimes...I miss this."

Gojyo turns, puzzled by this sudden admission. "What do you mean?"

Smiling somberly, Hakkai stares out at the softly shimmering water. "Just...this. Us. Alone. Not worrying about the next attack or how all of this is going to end."

A half-smirk twitches at Gojyo's mouth. "Yeah..."

On the ground lies Gojyo's pack of cigarettes. Without really thinking about it, Hakkai reaches for it and pulls a stick out, picking up Gojyo's lighter as well to light it and bring it to his lips in a motion far too smooth for someone who has never touched such things before. Gojyo watches in amazement, following every movement until the pack and lighter are back on the ground and Hakkai is merely sitting there, smoking just as casually as he is.

"I miss something? Since when do you smoke?"

It takes these words to bring to Hakkai's attention just what he has done and what he is currently doing. He starts. Pulling the cigarette slowly from his lips, he stares at it in his hand as if he has no idea how it got there.

"Guess you were in the sun too long today. You're startin' to lose it." Gojyo smirks, nudging his friend in the side.

Hakkai smiles lightly and shrugs, deciding he might as well finish what he started. He places the cigarette back in his mouth and takes a long drag. Gojyo watches, expecting his friend to choke on the taste at any moment. He is not disappointed when the sound of coughing never comes, but finds the sight of Hakkai smoking oddly...soothing.

Maybe it has something to do with breaking the healer's perfect, clean-cut image. Maybe not.

"So...how does it taste?" Gojyo asks with a sidelong glance, blowing out a puff of his own cig's smoke to stream up into the cool night air.

Hakkai takes another drag and pulls his cigarette out to rest nimbly in his fingers again. "Rather...wonderful, to be honest. I hope I don't get myself addicted."

"Better stick with only one then. If you go for another, I'll just have to swat your hand away."

"Oh you will, will you?"

Gojyo nods authoritatively. "I was just shocked this time around. But, as you well know, there are three things I am very picky about. Booze. Women."

"And nicotine." Hakkai finishes, smiling knowingly back at Gojyo. "I won't forget."

The pair sit in silence then, surrounded by the small buzzes of the forest, the rustling of the brook, the sight of the brilliant stars above, and the smell of sweet smoke wafting between them.

When their cigarettes have lost their flavor, Hakkai rises, stretching his arms up high above his head. "Shall we head back then?"

"Yeah..." Gojyo agrees, breaking into a yawn. He stands as well, after pocketing his pack and lighter, and they head back into the trees towards camp.

The fire has died a little since they left, and it appears that Sanzo is no longer faking his sleep. Small snores emit from Goku, but that is nothing unordinary. They make their way back over to their chosen spots by the fire quietly. Hakkai fiddles a bit with the fire to bring it back to life, pats the sleeping Hakuryuu lightly on the head, and then turns to Gojyo, who is already lying down.

The kappa lies on his side, facing Hakkai, still awake as he watches his friend openly. Hakkai smiles back at him and crawls over to lay down as well. He mirrors Gojyo, lying on his side facing the redhead without any signs of shame. They find they cannot look away as they lie there, only inches apart, both caught by the familiarity of it all, as if they were back home, sharing the same bed.

"...'Kai...?" Gojyo whispers, staring perhaps a little too deeply into the emeralds so near him.

"Yes, Gojyo...?"

"...you better move that hive or you're gonna have honey in your hair in the morning."

Hakkai blinks. Then, looking towards the top of his head, he sees the small hive balancing on its side close by. Too close. He chuckles and lifts himself just enough to grab the hive and set it at a safer distance. He lies back down, smiling at Gojyo in gratitude.

Oddly, he finds that his face feels a little flushed now, though he isn't sure why. For some reason, Gojyo's whispered utterance of his name like that...made his skin tingle.

"Gojyo..."

"Yeah...?"

Hmm. What did he mean to say? "...it's nothing."

"No, what is it?"

Hakkai tries his very best to look back at Gojyo without staring into those crimson depths. Seeing as how he adores looking into them, however, this is clearly impossible. "Really, it's nothing. I'm so tired, I'm...talking for no reason."

"Sorry. Guess I'm keeping you up."

"No. I'm tired, but...I still don't think I can sleep."

Gojyo nods. He feels exactly the same. Still unable to take his eyes from Hakkai, the cold air begins to get to him and he starts to shiver.

Hakkai notices this and his brows furrow. "Cold? I can get you a blanket out of the packs."

Such a typical response, Gojyo can't help grinning. He is cold, but he doesn't want Hakkai to leave his line of sight. "Don't worry about it. It's not so bad, with the fire...and you so close..."

Swallowing slightly, Hakkai wonders how he should take that. "Would you...like me to move away...?"

Gojyo shakes his head.

"Would you...like me to move...closer...?"

Beat. They stare. Emerald into crimson. Colors drowning. Gojyo's mouth feels so unbelievably...dry suddenly. But, despite everything, he finds himself nodding yes.

Hakkai scoots closer, barely an inch between them when he finally stills. Their faces are so close, both can clearly make out the lingering scent from their cigarettes. It is sweet and bitter all at once, mingling with their shared breath, a breath stunted by how both momentarily forget how to breathe.

Their eyes are still locked. How is this night different from so many others, both find themselves wondering. In truth, it is like many before it, and yet...one, small, unconscious choice...can change everything.

"Gojyo..."

"Yeah...?"

"...are you...warm now?"

"Yeah. Maybe a little too warm..."

"Would you like me to--"

"I don't want you to move away."

"...alright."

They continue to stare, their breaths still wrapped in each other's, and find the space between them lessening more and more. They make no conscious effort, they are merely closer suddenly, their chests and hips almost touching.

Hakkai swallows again--hard. His breaths begin to come in gasps. "I...I've wanted...for so long...to...tell you something..."

Gojyo's own breathing begins to pick up pace. "I've wanted...to hear you tell me something...for even longer..."

A small, frightened, little smile. "Do you...suppose...it is the same...something...?

"I'd be willing to bet on it..."

"...Gojyo..."

"...yes, 'Kai...?"

Hakkai's voice is barely a whisper. "I...think I might..."

Gojyo dives deeper into the green so close...so close now...

"...love you..."

...and falls into a well of green so perfect, he does not care if he drowns. "I love you, too, Tenpou, so much..."

And the colors explode, lost in each other, fading and losing contact as lips form together instead.

It is so late in the night now, their minds both so tired and weary, the kiss could be a moment that seems an eternity...an eternity that lasts but a moment. And indeed, it is.

When they pull back, both are smiling and staring once more into each other's eyes. There is no such thing as almost touching; their chests and hips have formed them into a single being.

Hakkai smiles. Gojyo grins. Hakai swallow--again. Gojyo laughs. Hakkai lifts a hand to stroke at Gojyo's cheek. Gojyo closes his eyes to block out everything but how perfect it feels to have that hand on his cheek. And...they both know...this is enough.

A thousand I love yous Gojyo has said and never meant, but only this I love you he meant though for so long couldn't say.

"Gojyo..." Hakkai speaks, his breath stable now, though his voice seems softer. "...what did you call me just now?"

For a moment, Gojyo's mind draws a blank. He had said 'Hakkai', hadn't he? Everything in him tells him that he said the name of the man in front of him, but he knows, the more he thinks on it, that 'Hakkai' is not what left his lips.

"You called me...what Homura calls me." Hakkai explains, answering his own question. It strikes Gojyo then how true that is. "You don't suppose...you and I...in another life...?"

Gojyo's grin returns. "I never suppose...but I'll tell you what I know. Telling you I love you has lifted more weight off my shoulders than anything in my whole life, like I've been waiting all this time just to say it."

"As have I. And waiting to hear it."

"And waiting to kiss you."

"And waiting to be this close--"

"Without being able to blame it on shifting in our sleep."

Hakkai laughs, loudly, instantly realizing how loud it actually is, and clamping his hand over his mouth to silence the sound. Both peak through the fire and see Sanzo shift. Thankfully, he does not rouse.

"Sorry." Gojyo grins, a little lopsided.

"No matter. But...tell me...what does this mean for us?"

Gojyo scoots a little further forward, pressing his hips and chest deeply into Hakkai's. Hakkai gives a small gasp. Gojyo shivers. "I guess...it means...we're in deep shit."

To keep from laughing again, Hakkai is forced to bite his lip. Or...maybe...he is biting it to keep from uttering a very different sound. "G-Gojyo...we...this is...oh my..."

"I couldn't have said it better myself..."

"Are we...really on the same page here?"

"I think so. Unless...that's Sanzo's gun in your pocket."

Hakkai chokes down another laugh. "You're...terrible."

Gojyo is undaunted. "You're beautiful."

"We are...clearly out of our minds."

"Clearly..."

"I do love you, Kenren..."

"Me, too. Wait. What...?"

At first, Hakkai's eyes narrow as he works out what he just said. But in the end, he merely shrugs. They are even now. In more ways than they realize.

Nothing more is said or done this night, other than the pair drifting to sleep in a position far more intimate than any they have ever both consciously allowed. And...though he doesn't understand quite why...just before they close their eyes, Hakkai looks one last time deeply into Gojyo's...and for the briefest of moments...he would swear...they flash blue.

* * *

_'I love you...so much...'_

_'And now...I've finally found you...'_

* * *

THE END

A/N:

How can you ever forgive me for taking so long? By...loving the ending I have finally giving you perhaps? Please, please? And...by yelling at me through reviews? Praise is also welcome, of course. :-)

Anyway, I am happy to see this fic finished, even if it did take me forever to figure out how to end it right. I am satisfied with this. I don't know if this fic actually resembles anything I originally intended, but I like it, and I would LOVE to know what you all think. Thank you as always to each and every READER, not just REVIEWER. I have been pleased to share this with you. Have a great last few days of summer, and as always, I'll see ya next ficcie! Love you all!

Crimson


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